


We Can't Build Our Dreams

by rosadellic



Category: LazyTown
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Angst, Anxiety, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fae Robbie Rotten, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Past Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Pre-Relationship, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Sleep Deprivation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2018-10-17 08:38:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 28,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10590384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosadellic/pseuds/rosadellic
Summary: Sportacus wants to help Robbie with any emotional pain he's dealing with but there's more to it than he thought.





	1. Chapter 1

* * *

  
The first time Sportacus had noticed Robbie acting self-conscious about his body was when they went to the beach for the first time before the school year started, it being incredibly hot that day. He had worn a ridiculously tight swimming outfit that had short sleeves and came down to his mid thigh, striped with purple and black. He had refused to get in the water and instead lounged on a towel and had brought a pair of ridiculous looking sunglasses to shield his eyes from the sun.

The second time he encountered this was when the two of them had gone on a skiing trip with Stephanie and her friends in the snowier mountain region, and they both had to change out of their sopping wet clothes to prevent any type of hypothermia.

Robbie had changed in the same room as him but insisted on keeping his turtle neck on, due to it being cold inside the cabin as well. Sportacus had wanted to fight with him on that because he could still get sick but thought against it, knowing that the villain was probably uncomfortable being shirtless around anybody else. Even after they both had gotten pushed into a swimming pool by Stephanie and Ziggy on a particularly hot day, Robbie once again refused in letting the hero help him change out of his clothes in favor of putting on some sunscreen and rushed on home.

If only Sportacus knew then why he didn't want to be seen in that way. If he would've just minded his own business after those times and just let Robbie handle his own problems, things might not be so uncomfortable at the moment.

He was currently standing by the opened dark wooden bedroom door of Robbie's lair, the cool air filtering through the room and out to where he was at. Sportacus had come down here because Robbie had left some of old gadgets outside for the kids to play with and he wanted to return them to be polite but this wasn't what he had expected to see.

Robbie was sitting on the other side of his large bed, facing the opposite side so his back was towards the elf. He was hunched over slightly, long pale arms in front of him as he stared down at the palms of his hands. He had taken off his waist coat and the shirt he wore usually underneath it, leaving his pin striped pants bunched around his waist due to being loosened. Sportacus wanted to reach out and simply talk to him, easier to do so since they had long become friends, but his blue eyes were focused on the two jagged looking scars that were on the villain's back.

They were between his shoulder blades, and were a aberrant shade of pink-flesh and brown. They gently rose off of his skin somewhat and contrasted sharply next to his pale flesh. The scars weren't hideous or unappealing in any way but looked like they had been painful, at least from what he could gather. He wondered where they had come from, how he had gotten them but knew he wasn't going to his questions answered by just staring.

Something compelled him to speak up and he did. "Robbie...?"

The villain's broad shoulders tightened instantly and he stumbled to his feet quickly, almost tripping over himself due to his hastiness. Robbie saw who was before him and quickly crossed his slender arms over himself, grey eyes wide and alert in what looked like pure anger.

" _Sportakook_! What are you doing here!? Haven't you heard of knocking!?" Sportacus flinched involuntarily at the venomous tone of voice, frowning at the scathing look on Robbie's usually handsome face.

He looked downright miserable, noticeable bags under his eyes and the tall tell sign of stress weighing down on his shoulders.

Sportacus had always known when the villain's posture was off or when he was dealing with some sort of emotional baggage. When they had finally managed to become friends after a few years of rinse and repeat with Robbie trying to kick him out of town, the elf began taking notes of his actions. And because of the friendship they had, he wanted nothing more than to help him now.

"I - I'm sorry Robbie. I didn't mean to intrude but you had left your things in the park and I wanted to return them to you." Sportacus said in a nervous voice, not liking when Robbie just scowled at him and narrowed his eyes. It was that same, malicious stare that the villain used to give him when he first came to Lazytown, the one that was thrown his way when his disguises and plans were abolished and he would skulk away.

He hoped he would never have to see that look again.

Robbie continued to shield himself with his arms, feeling heavily exposed in front of the elf. He had enjoyed getting along with the hero for some time now but this wasn't what he wanted to happen, he didn't like feeling like all eyes were on him, ready to jeer and laugh at him. So he instantly went on the defensive, pulling out his crude routine in hopes of people leaving him alone.

"You should be sorry, _elf_! This is my lair, the last time I checked and I'm not too keen of noisy super heroes dropping in unannounced!" Robbie ground out, teeth clenching as he looked around for something to cover himself up with.

Sportacus noticed this and took one step forward, frowning when the villain flinched on instinct. Had he though he was going to get hit? That didn't set well with the hero and he took one more slow step towards him. "Robbie, I'm sorry for coming in here without knocking, I just wanted to bring your things back safely..." He trailed off as he began inspecting the taller man, looking over him and hoping those were the only scars he owned.

Robbie snarled at this, not liking the way he was being stared at. "What are you staring at, Sportakook!?" He lashed out, quickly snatching his sleeping robe from the floor and holding it against himself to shield the rest of his pale skin from the elf's scrutiny.

Sportacus looked offended, hurt written all over his face but he pushed his own discomfort aside for the moment. "I wasn't staring to be mean Robbie, but if you don't mind me asking, how did you get those... those scars on your back?"

He fought trying to get the question out, because he couldn't even think of someone hurting Robbie, if that's what they were from. The hero figured Robbie had been uncomfortable with taking off his clothes for the reason of intimacy but this is what he had been hiding.

"Of course I mind you asking! And it's none of your business, you stupid elf! Anything that has to do with my body is my problem, got it?" Robbie spoke in a unmelodious voice, hoping that would be enough and the hero would leave and go back up to this little airship. Who did he think he was invading his privacy like this? He had every right not to throw him out, if he could lift him that is.

Sportacus' face took on a different expression then, one that looked melancholy and pained at the same time. The villain wasn't sure if he liked looking at it but huffed out and glanced at the blankets on his bed instead.

"Robbie... I understand that you're hurt and you like to put up this barrier to protect yourself but I - I thought we were friends. It made me so happy that you finally wanted to get along with me instead of trying to get me to leave town all the time. Where did all of that go?"

Robbie flinched softly at the distressed tone of voice. He hadn't meant to make the elf so upset but dammit, he didn't want anybody knowing about his scars. They were his to fuss and worry about and the last thing he needed was some big-hearted, caring, always smiling blue kangaroo getting into his personal life.

The taller man sighed then, knowing that was broken the moment he offered the two of them could be friends. He was bound to have the blasted hero come down in his lair unannounced sometime or another.

Robbie held his bunched up robe to his chest with one hand, letting the free one rub at the crease at his forehead.

"We _ARE_ friends, Sportaclown. I'm just - I'm just really tired and I would like some privacy so if you don't mind..." He stopped talking after a moment, hoping that his obvious unsettlement would convince the elf to leave him alone.

Sportacus looked conflicted but shook his head. "I want to help you, Robbie. That's what friends are for."

He uncrossed his arms then, taking another slow step towards the villain, not missing when he once again flinched slightly.

The fact that Robbie retreated into himself as though he was going to be struck always upset him. He wanted to know why the villain acted this way because he wanted to guide him along through any pain he had suffered in the past or present, and he prayed it wasn't the present. Just thinking about Robbie being in pain hurt him, in more ways than one.

Robbie continued to stare at the floor. "What if I don't want your help? Did you ever think of that?" Sportacus' pained expression caused his stomach to twist in guilt but he ignored it.

"Robbie, I -" The villain cut him off, a nasty frown tugging at his mouth.

"Maybe I don't need annoying, flipping blue elves constantly trying to pry into my life! Did you ever think of that!? Or are you just so _perfect_ that you feel the need to butt into my personal problems and stick like a bad habit?!" Robbie's face was inflamed, his eyes wide as he stood impliable. He looked uncomfortable, standing there with his shoulders hiked up to his ears and a despondent look etched in his face.

Sportacus didn't know what to say. In truth, he couldn't think of anything because how hurt he was at the sound of the villain's voice, the broken and beaten tone. Why was Robbie like this towards him? He thought they had gotten past this point but from the scabrous look on the villain's face he knew they were far from it and he needed to help. He wanted to help.

The elf stepped a little closer, barely an arm's length away and gently laid one hand on Robbie's pale shoulder.

"Even if you don't want my help, I want what's best for you because you are my friend and I care about you." Robbie felt his body tightening at the words, suddenly trying very hard to stop the sudden tears pricking his eyes.

He couldn't. He wouldn't. He would _not_ cry in front of the elf.

"I don't want to see you hurt because it hurts me, and looking at those... those scars on your back upsets me. I didn't think anyone could ever hurt some like you, could ever do something like that to you, if that's the case. You're special, Robbie. You are special to the kids and to me."

The pure emotion that was laced into Sportacus' voice was enough to send Robbie over the edge and he began sobbing, tears pouring out of his eyes as if he was waiting for a moment to let them go. Alarmed at this, Sportacus took him by the shoulders and managed to sit him down on the bed before taking a seat next to him.

He grabbed his wrists and began rubbing them softly, trying to relax his tense body as much as he could. He was good at calming the children when they were like this but this was Robbie, who seemed much more emotionally fragile than them.

Robbie pulled his hands free, bringing them up to cry into his palms, also using this as a way to shield himself from the elf. "Robbie... it's alright, it's okay." Sportacus gently spoke, using the same comforting tone that he used towards Stephanie whenever she was crying or feeling down.

He didn't know if it would have the same effect on the villain but was pleased when Robbie's shoulders stopped shaking and his sobs were reduced to sniffles. Tears were still running down his face when he pulled his hands away but he was glad that they had slowed down.

Sportacus took one of his pale hands in his and rubbed the back of it softly. "Robbie... I don't want to push you into telling me and I don't want to see you crying again but... but could you tell me what happened to you? I want to know so I can better understand you and help you through this." The sincerity in the hero's voice was almost enough to send Robbie into another bout of tears but he controlled himself, a shuddering sigh escaping him.

He adjusted the robe tightly around him and rubbed under his eyes with his free hand to rid himself of any tears. Robbie attempted to clear his throat but it still left a clogging sensation drifting in his mouth. He really didn't want to get into this but maybe, just maybe if tried talking about it he wouldn't feel the horrible heaviness aching in his chest.

"Well - I - I - " Robbie broke off in an abrupt breath, more tears building in his grey eyes at the thought of trying to talk about this. His bottom lip trembled somewhat and he had to look down at his lap to refocus himself.

Sportacus looked down as well and gently ran his thumb over Robbie's bruised and worn out knuckles. "Take your time." His words of encouragement seemed to filter in the villain's mind, who nodded and let out a wavering breath.

He wiped under his nose with the loose sleeve of his robe, blinking his eyes repeatedly. Sportacus noticed then how long and how dark those lashes were, some of them beading with left over tears. They glistened lightly and the sight of Robbie with those libertine eyes almost made his heart jump.

Robbie managed to convince his mouth to move. "I - It happened when I was younger... much younger, before the whole villain thing." Sportacus listened carefully, continuing to rub soothing circles on the pale hand to keep him calm.

"Of course I was still evil when I was younger, I did a lot of bad things to feel like I belonged and well, I - I remember just turning twenty on - on the night that - "

Robbie's emotions fought with him, his mind swirling as he began thinking about that torturous night. His throat constricted as he managed to continue, "I had turned twenty on that night and the only thing I wanted to do was get out and do something to cement my name as a Rotten, hoping this god forsaken town would take me seriously." The villain then chuckled bitterly, a mix between anger and sadness as the memories came flooding back to him.

He ran a hand back through his dark hair, loosening up whatever product he had in it doing so.

"People in the town were finally staring to take notice of what I did, litter around the school, not pay my overdue book fines every now and then, stealing from the mayor's office just to spite him and a bunch of similar stuff, some of things I did back then I wouldn't even do now. I don't know if you know but there was a hero before you." Sportacus perked up instantly, a perplexed expression on his face.

"There was?" At Robbie's nod, the elf continued, "Was he the one who Stephanie thought I was? I remember her asking me if I was number Nine on the day we met but that's all I ever heard about him."

At the mention of the name, Robbie flinched involuntarily and a shudder trailed up his spine. Sportacus noticed this and gripped his hand tighter, not trying to hinder the taller man more than he already was. He could barely stand to watch and hear the man cry and would do anything to keep him from getting that way again.

"He - yes, he was the one, I'm pretty sure he was. I never knew his name, I think the mayor did and maybe some of the children around at the time did but to me, he was just Nine. I never introduced myself to him and to be honest, was probably never going to but did he have a way of making himself known."

Robbie's lips thinned at that part, a sudden look of anger flooding his features. Sportacus didn't like that particular look but before he could say something, the villain continued.

His voice was tough, and the elf could tell he was fighting with himself. "That night.. that night I had gone out to cause some trouble. Nine had come to town a few weeks before that when one of the little girls needed help and was the normal thorn in my side but I - I decided to mess up the children's garden they had been growing." Sportacus wanted to reprimand him for that but didn't and just listened with narrowed blue eyes.

"It was harmless, really. All I wanted to do was sprinkle some of that confederate sugar on the carrots and apples, just to mess with them a little bit. I didn't want to do anything too extreme because, well, they were children and I wanted to be a bully." Robbie mentally kicked himself at the thought, not believing how careless he was back then.

"I wanted the people of this town to know the name Rotten, I wanted people to think of me and not fuss over that damned hero like he was some sort of golden statue." Robbie said in a dark voice, eyes dropping to look at his clenching hands.

The skin around his knuckles turned white but the blood faded back once he relaxed them. Just thinking about that man made his blood boil but it also left a wave of distress upon his body. He had never gotten over what happened to him, had never been given the chance to talk about it but now that it was happening, with something he thought he trusted, the memories were coming back raw. And fresh.

"We had never really gotten along but Nine had never pushed any boundaries with me before, he would just throw empty threats at me. Not once did he ever try to hit me or try to throw me out of town." Sportacus had a somber look on his face at hearing that. He would never threaten Robbie, even though he was quite stern with him when it came to him and his disguises, he would never use physical violence.

Robbie shivered, lip curling slightly as he continued, "But... Nine had other plans once he had caught me in the park after dark. I was all alone and - and I, I tried so hard to get away from him but he just - he wouldn't - I was so _weak_ and he - he was so _strong_ and I - I- "

Robbie broke off into more sobs as they came out of him, eyes snapping shut as the tears spilled down his face. His makeup was ruined by now, tear tracks ruining his foundation and making his mascara run around his eyes in a black, streaky mess.

Sportacus took his hands in his again and rubbed them soothingly. "No, no no no. Please Robbie, don't cry." He comforted him as much as he could, squeezing the pale flesh as the harsh sounds racked the taller man's body. He descended into a coughing fit afterwards, build shaking with the force of it and it caused more tears and gasps.

The elf leaned closer to him, desperately wanting to pull him into an embrace but he didn't know if he could take it if Robbie flinched away from him again.

Another thing was letting Robbie calm himself down so he would be able to relax. It was one thing to comfort somebody in need but it was another to let the person try and handle it themselves, because it would be healthy for them. Sportacus had wanted nothing from Robbie, just his friendship, but he couldn't lie that he wanted the taller man to live a more healthy and vibrant lifestyle if he could. And just looking at him and preparing himself for whatever else Robbie would be able to tell him, he needed to get this out of his system.

Sportacus gently needed Robbie's thin arms, cautiously moving them upwards to rub at his stiff forearms and biceps.

"It's okay, Robbie. Just relax, okay?" He soothed, hesitantly reaching a hand out before he smoothed it down over Robbie's mussed up curls, sighing in relief when the tender action made the taller man stop shaking, and he ran his hand down his face a couple of times to remove any tears. Sportacus repeated the motion, rubbing his hand over the dark curls in a feather-like movement, hoping it would calm him down enough.

"We don't have to talk about it anymore but I'm happy you opened up a bit to me." Sportacus spoke affectionately, carting his fingers through the dark curls and smiled when Robbie leaned into the touch.

He didn't like seeing Robbie this way but he would do anything to help in this matter and he knew that talking would do the trick. Venting was a healthy thing to do and he knew that Robbie had no one to talk to about his problems.

Sportacus continued playing with his hair, relieved when it made Robbie almost melt next to him, eyes fluttering closed for a brief moment. The elf noticed how tired he looked at the moment and took his hands into his again.

"Robbie... I know this might be pushing things but would you like me to stay with you here tonight? I can help you get some sleep but I also understand if you would like to be alone." The taller man contemplated about this for a moment, his mind fuzzy from crying and everything he talked about.

Under any other circumstance he would have said no and kicked him out but he had a longing to finally drift into sleep and, as much as he would never admit it to the elf, he enjoyed his company a lot, probably more than a friend should.

Robbie nodded tiredly at the suggestion and Sportacus' face warmed slightly. He scooted backwards on the bed somewhat to let the taller man slip into his robe and tie it around himself before he got to his feet.

He unclasped his crystal and set it carefully on the dark oak dresser next to Robbie's bed before shrugging off his vest. Next followed his hat, goggles and bracers. The villain had already seen him without these items on so it wasn't a big deal between them. Sportacus climbed into bed next to him and hesitantly wrapped one arm around Robbie's thin shoulder, pleased when he rolled over compliantly and leaned into his embrace somewhat.

Robbie rested his cheek against the firm chest muscle and sighed into it, sounding a little watery. It had been a long time since he had someone in his bed next to him and an even longer time since someone had cuddled with him. He would never tell anyone but he had been touch deprived for so long and that he secretly longed for affection. And though the person supplying it was supposed to be his enemy, Robbie just went with it and snuggled even closer.

Sportacus smelled surprisingly _good_ and it was making him even more tired, eyelids getting heavier and breaths getting slower. Fingers were running through his curls again. Oh. _Oh_ , that felt too good.

With the tempt of sleeping reeling him in, Robbie managed to form words.

"Thanks Sportacus." He mumbled into the hardened chest under him and Sportacus chuckled lightly, realizing that was the only appreciation he was getting. Not that he minded, because Robbie was his friend and he was always going to be there to help him.

"You're welcome, Robbie." He responded in a sleepy voice and a yawn, but Robbie was already passed out and was snoring lightly. At least he wasn't crying anymore and with that thought, Sportacus had drifted off too.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

The next couple of days went by smoothly after Sportacus had managed to get Robbie to open up and tell him a little of his past. He had no idea that the previous hero, whom he had little knowledge of but had never met or even seen before, was that malicious towards the villain, who wasn't that much of a villain to begin with. Sure he could be a little mean and a bit of a mouth-runner, but that hardly warranted any type of physical violence against him.

Sportacus had wondered what the previous hero had done to Robbie. Was it just an attack on him? Did he hit him and come back for more? Was he the cause of those scars that marked the taller man's perfect pale skin? Or was it more? The elf didn't want to think of such disconcerting thoughts but couldn't help himself. This had to be the reason Robbie was always flinching away from his touch and always trying to shield himself.

Those scars between his shoulder blades didn't look like they came from a weapon, from what he could tell and from what little he saw of them. They were oddly placed, too. Instead of being all over his back like normal stab wounds, these were positioned perfectly in the middle of his shoulder blades. What could they have come from? The rest of Robbie's thin body didn't have other type of markings, sans for the bruises and scrapes across his knuckles and fingers that came from him hurting himself when inventing random things.

Sportacus wanted to speak about this more with Robbie but after the emotional break down the tender subject caused the villain to have, he knew he had to take baby steps with this or handle it carefully. Robbie seemed much more emotional fragile than he thought and could be offended easily, so he had to make sure he wouldn't say anything to upset him. After all, they had become close friends and he wanted to keep it compliant between them.

The next time Sportacus had run into Robbie was near his bunker, and the taller man seemed to be struggling with some sort of instructional manual in his hands. He was carrying a white plastic bag in the other that had the logo from the town's only pharmacy and that worried him a little bit. Why was Robbie getting things from there? Although it could've just been normal cough medicine or sleeping pills, the elf was still worried and jogged over to him after he bid the kids a good night.

"Hi Robbie!" Sportacus chirped happily but frowned when the taller man yelped and almost jumped a few feet in the air. Robbie collected himself and picked up the papers he had dropped, sending a glare towards the elf.

"Must you always jump around and yell? You almost gave me a heart attack!" The elf then noticed how exhausted Robbie looked, dark bags resting under his eyes and his complexion looking a bit more paler than usual. He sort of hoped that the villain would at least try to keep up a normal sleeping schedule but it was probably hard for him.

Sportacus smiled sheepishly after a moment, bending down to help Robbie scoop up the papers he had dropped and handed them to him.

"I'm sorry Robbie, I just wanted to come over and see how you were doing." The villain blinked then before glancing away when he felt the blood rush to his cheeks.

He wasn't used to the warm affection that emanated from the hero every time he was around him and it always made him heat up. It made him feel exposed and vulnerable, to be seen blushing around the town hero.

Robbie cleared his throat before shoving the papers inside his waist coat. "Yes, well - don't you have somewhere you need to be? Like playing around with those annoying brats?" The elf just chuckled then, a joyish gleam appearing in his blue eyes at the moment.

"Robbie, it's almost eight o'clock. You know the kids are inside by now. I told you I wanted to see how you were!" Oh. The villain didn't know what to say and began fiddling with his fingers.

He had appreciated Sportacus' help a few days ago and was relieved when he had managed to fall asleep in no time. Maybe it was the warmth radiating from the elf's body when he was curled up next to him or maybe it was those strong, slightly calloused fingers running through his hair that night. It was relaxing and he was sure he slept a full eight hours, the most he had gotten in years and although he would never tell the sports elf, he wouldn't mind doing it again.

Sportacus' smile faltered as he noticed the contemplative look on Robbie's face then, before he cautiously took one step forward and laid a hand on his shoulder.

To his relief, the taller man didn't flinch but it did break him from his thoughts and he was met with narrowed grey eyes. "I'm fine, Sportadork. I was just thinking about some stuff."

Well, at least it was something. He took one step back to respect the man's privacy and began bouncing on the balls of his feet to get some sort of movement, standing still for over a few minutes making him feel antsy. "Is everything okay then? You do look a little tired."

Robbie sighed and began walking towards the door to the billboard.

"Everything is fine, Sportakook. Now just go flipping back to your ship and stop bugging me!" He hadn't meant to sound so harsh but he wanted to be left alone and get some much needed sleep, if he could that is. It was late in the day and even though the kids wouldn't be making any noise, he knew it was going to be hard.

Sportacus' face dropped a little but he followed the taller man. "Robbie, you know you can talk to me if you need it. I know you've been having trouble sleeping... and I would like to help you, if you would let me..."

He trailed off gently, not wanting to upset the villain at all. He couldn't stand it when he sobbed openly in front of him, the tears pouring from those grey eyes making his heart ache. He always had a tender spot for when someone was crying but seeing Robbie that way just... tore him up on the inside.

Robbie stopped for a moment, and there was a noticeable tightness in his shoulders. Why did the sports elf want to help him for? What was so special about him?

He muttered something under his breath that Sportacus couldn't decipher before turning around to face him. He looked slightly uncomfortable but managed to get his mouth to move.

"If you're so insistent on the matter, then fine! But if I see you doing one flip or handstand or if you break anything inside, you're out. Got it?" Sportacus just nodded and smiled brightly, the emotion pouring from his features making Robbie's cheeks burn lightly but he ignored it and stalked over towards the hatch of his lair.

The elf followed him eagerly and after Robbie made his safe climb down, Sportacus slipped in and landed with cat-like grace.

The lair was a little bit colder than the outside but that was normal and Sportacus was used to it by now. He looked around the spacious area, admiring Robbie's machinery and tool bench, the man was really hard working and a genius. The things he invented in the past and that he could make now were incredible and always impressed him to no end.

Robbie was still frowning as he set his plastic bag down onto his kitchen counter and pulled out the now crumpled instruction manual. As he was putting a few two liters of green-coloured soda away into the refrigerator, Sportacus came up to him and frowned lightly.

"Robbie, could you tell me why you went to the pharmacy? I know you don't like me getting too personal but if you're in pain, I can help you. You don't need any type of medication when there are plenty of healthier ways to relieve pain." He offered lightly and the villain just sighed before closing the refrigerator door and looked down at the blue clad hero.

His grey eyes held that same tired, non-existent look they always had but something was different. "Not that it's any of your business, Sportakook, but I wasn't getting anything for pain. So you can calm your little flipping butt down, it's not going to kill me."

Robbie spoke with a light scowl before he moved around the shorter man with his things in hand and plopped down into his fluffy chair. Sportacus stood there for a moment before he followed him and stood a little ways from his chair, still frowning. He hoped that there wasn't something seriously wrong and that Robbie was avoiding him, because he understood if he didn't want to talk but he also didn't want him doing something dangerous to himself.

There was still a underlying problem, however. Sportacus wanted nothing but to help Robbie and hopefully, if he was willing, they could talk about what happened to him before he came to town. He had a unsettling feeling in his stomach that the previous hero had done something much worse to Robbie than attack him and that left him feeling sick. It was obvious from the way the villain flinched and cowered away that something much more mentally abusing happened.

Robbie dug into the bag and pulled out what looked to be a white tube and scowled again, this time looking distressed. " _Fuck_..." He muttered under neath his breath, the strong language making Sportacus flinch lightly but he didn't call attention to it.

"What's the matter, Robbie?" The villain just frowned before he hunched his shoulders and looked up into the elf's blue eyes.

"It's just - I had to get some ointment for - for my scars... and I just realized that I can't put it on myself." Robbie was noticeably uncomfortable in revealing this and averted his grey eyes to the floor with a light red flush filling his cheeks.

Sportacus smiled gently and cautiously took the white tube from Robbie's hand. "I can do it for you Robbie, if you don't mind. I know you don't like being touched a lot but I can do it if you want me to."

The villain considered this and unlike normal circumstances where he would have told the hero to get lost, he knew he needed the help.

Robbie sighed loudly and rubbed at the crease at his forehead. "Alright Sportaflop but don't you dare tell anyone about this." Sportacus smiled at the harmless words before he stood back some. He couldn't help but watch the villain remove his waist coat carefully in a hesitant way and pull his undershirt over his head, revealing his striking pale skin.

His eyes settled on those scars, unable to pull his gaze away then. He knew he shouldn't be staring but the aberrant pink colour and how they rose off his skin lightly was making his stomach twist uncomfortably. Sportacus wished that he hadn't known about this at all because of the pain he felt knowing that Robbie was hurt but was also glad because he wanted to do nothing but help him more. The elf's heart warmed when Robbie turned his in his chair to allow him access, hoping this was the villain trusting him.

Sportacus applied a generous amount of the ointment to his palms and rubbed them together, before reaching his hands out.

"Do you mind if I touch you, Robbie?" Robbie just scoffed in response but he didn't sound mad in any way. He nodded and hung his head when warm fingers began massaging in the tender area between his shoulder blades. Sighing softly, Robbie closed his eyes and let the feeling consume him.

Robbie's skin was soft to touch and it was obvious he used some sort of lotion or body cream to keep it feeling this way. Or maybe it was natural. Sportacus massaged little circles into the tight flesh, smiling when the villain made a soft noise towards the feeling. "If you don't mind me asking, is this ointment for the scars?" He asked, moving his hands a little farther to run another layer of the pearly white cream over the scar tissue.

Robbie's shoulders tightened but he didn't sound angry when he talked. "Yes, it is. They don't hurt but they do itch every now and then and having something to soothe it helps me out a lot when I'm trying to sleep. I don't use it a lot but it does help."

Sportacus didn't voice it but he frowned at this, thinking about the many nights he had to come help Robbie fall asleep. He knew it was the man's horrible insomnia but it was this too as well.

When he stayed silent, Robbie turned to glare at him and snorted. "I can feel you frowning Sportakook, and it won't do any good. Things just happen as they are, we can't do anything about it." The negativity in his voice made the elf grimace but he just sighed and applied more ointment before rubbing over the scars with gentle care. He smiled again when the villain's shoulders slumped this time, wondering what it would be like to see Robbie like this all the time.

Sportacus rubbed the rest of what was on his hands over the scars before stepping back and rubbing his hands together. "Okay, I think I'm about done. How does it feel? Is it still bothering you? Do you need me to put more on?"

As much as Robbie would love to have those unyielding hands all over his back and shoulders for the rest of the night, it was close to eight thirty and he knew he had to try and get some sleep. Taking a hot bubble bath was sounding good right about now.

Robbie turned back in his chair and pulled his undershirt close to his chest to hide his pale skin and began fidgeting nervously. "I - Thanks for the help, Sportakook. That should be fine."

He muttered under his breath, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks at the words coming from his mouth. He wasn't used to this but he knew he couldn't just be rude to the elf after he spent his time touching his bare skin. He began wondering why the hero was making such an effort with him, why he was always so worried about him. Like he was something special to be cared for.

Sportacus smiled brightly and crossed his arms. "You're welcome, Robbie. You can always ask me for anything. I'll always help you whenever you need me."

The villain wasn't expecting such a caring response and just stared at the hero with wide eyes. It wasn't long for the emotions to start eating at him and a few tears suddenly slipped down his pale cheeks. Suddenly alarmed, the elf took a few steps towards him but didn't dare touch him, knowing about his fragile state of mind when it came to his emotions.

"Why...?" Robbie spoke in a hoarse voice, bottom lip trembling. "Why do you do these things for me? What's so special about me?" He whimpered, voice breaking at the end of his sentence as more tears trickled down his now flushed cheeks.

Sportacus frowned. "I do them because I care about you, Robbie. You're my friend and you are special." He knew he had said these things in the past but he had to repeat them in order to assure the taller man that he wasn't lying.

He did care for Robbie, he had always thought of him as a friend but was happy when the villain finally wanted to be his in return. The elf had held a little more than just friendship feelings towards the taller man but that was overstepping boundaries and he didn't want to scare him off or make him hate him again.

Robbie just continued to cry and began shaking somewhat. "That's no reason! You shouldn't care about me! You - you _shouldn't_ care about someone like m-me!" He shouted then, cheeks reddened from the harsh tear tracks.

Sportacus looked perplexed, "Robbie? Why would you say something like that?" He didn't want to think the villain hated himself, the negativity wasn't healthy. Hating oneself did bad things for the mind and mental state and he could imagine how Robbie was dealing with these things on the inside.

"Because it's true, you stupid elf! It's all true! There is no reason for you to be concerned about me or even care about me! Can't you see I - I'm worthless and ugly!" Robbie exclaimed, throwing his hands up to get his point across, grey eyes shining intensely.

Sportacus almost gasped, not believing what the taller man was saying to him.

He took another step closer cautiously but kept moderate distance.

"Robbie, you are not ugly. I can't believe you would say something so negative about yourself." Sportacus looked sad at that moment but Robbie just wouldn't believe what the blasted hero was telling him.

"I am ugly, Sportakook! I'm fu - _freaking_ hideous and it's all because of these - these scars! If I didn't have these, I wouldn't have to worry about avoiding the mirror when I get undressed or going out swimming in shorts! Can't you see that I'm just born to be unloved?" On the last word, Robbie's face crumpled and fell into another round of harsh sobs, the tears coming faster than ever.

At that moment, Sportacus didn't care about the warning signals going off in his head and finally stepped forward and wrapped Robbie in his arms gingerly. To his relief, the villain instantly thew his arms around his middle and embraced him tightly, holding onto him as if he would just evaporate before him. The elf couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of Robbie's pale face pressed into the soft fabric of his vest and shirt, his tears no doubt soaking it and how nice it felt to finally have him closer to him.

Sportacus never really had a chance to hug the taller man as tightly as he was now. They never really got close enough to each other to do something as personal as this. He remembered Robbie hugging him during last year's Christmas party at the town hall but that was when Sportacus had given him an unexpected gift of Christmas shaped cookies and a soft purple scarf that he had knitted himself.

This was something much different and even though he liked the warm feeling, he needed to take care of this situation.

"Robbie," Sportacus cooed gently, managing to pull the taller man down onto the plush carpet next to him. "Robbie, you are not ugly and you do deserved to be loved. Everyone with a heart as big as yours deserves the nicest things." He spoke in a soothing tone of voice, running his fingers gently through the black curls of hair, feeling the sticky product.

Instead of speaking, Robbie made a jumpy scoff through the tears in his throat, the clear droplets still stinging his cheeks. "D-Don't lie to me, Sportacus..." His voice sounded broken and the elf shook his head at this. 

Sportacus continued playing with the curls of hair and began rubbing soothing circles across the villain's tightened shoulders and back.

"I'm not lying. You deserve a lot of things and love is one of them." He continued to say gently, a smile now forming on his face when he felt Robbie's body stop shaking slightly but from the muffled sounds, he was now crying silently.

Sportacus just continued on with his calming and praising words, hoping what he said next wouldn't make the villain retreat from him,"I also think you're very pretty."

Robbie made a louder scoff that time, pulling back somewhat to roll his grey eyes. The hero got a better look at his face and almost winced at the sight of reddened cheeks, covered in rough tear tracks and his eyes looking puffy and blood shot.

Without thinking, he gently wiped away some loose tears with his knuckles and smiled softly when the villain didn't flinch but relaxed into the touch.

But Robbie seemed consistent to argue. A melancholy look appeared on his face, his frown deepening and eyes watering up again. "I'm not -'

"Yes, you are." Sportacus said in a firm tone, hoping his words would help. "You know that I don't lie and I think you're beautiful, Robbie. And you're also smart, so smart that I'm always amazed by the things you create. The inventions you put your mind to are always amazing." The words of encouragement made Robbie's cheek turn a light red but he still didn't believe what he was hearing. He looked away as he saw tears in his vision.

"But I'm so - " Sportacus stopped him by placing a hand on his chin and tilted his head so he could stare into his beautiful grey eyes. "Look at you," The elf spoke with a kind-hearted smile, eyes twinkling.

"You have such pretty grey eyes, a colour that I've never seen before." Robbie was sure his cheeks were on fire but kept staring into those endless pools of baby blue eyes, hoping this was real and not some sort of insomnia-induced dream. He had dreamed of the sports elf before and they were always pleasant dreams, so he hoped this had a happy ending.

"You have very nice legs to look at and I like your smile. And I think you have beautiful scars, no matter what or where they came from. I was a little surprised at seeing them but it only adds to you're personality. I'm not trying to get you to like them but I only want you to see that every part of you is perfect, no matter what."

Robbie's breath was caught in his throat, not believing what was said to him. Did Sportacus really think so highly of him? Did he truly mean the things he said?

Robbie managed to gather himself after a moment and instead of trying to argue with the elf, he leaned back into his embrace and tucked his face into the crook of Sportacus' neck, pleased at the feel of the warm skin. Sportacus just smiled and wrapped his arms back around his broad shoulders, placing his chin atop his mussed up hair.

"Why don't we go get some sleep? I'm sure you would rather sleep on a bed than on the floor." Sportacus said softly when he noticed Robbie had been nodding off. With a yawn, Robbie just nodded tiredly and allowed him to be pulled to his feet with ease. He had forgotten about his shirt but was so exhausted to cover himself up.

They headed into the bedroom and a feeling of deja vu settled in the elf's stomach but he ignored it for the moment. Sportacus helped Robbie out his pants and tried not to pay attention to his pale skin as he slipped on his regular pajamas, the normal purple silk ones he had seen him wear on occasion. Robbie slid into the bed and tugged the blankets around him, closing his eyes and exhaling slowly to get comfortable.

Once he was sure he was settled, Sportacus removed his clothing until he was down to his shirt and pants and gently moved in beside him, happy when Robbie made no protest and instead rolled over to his side to face him with sleepy eyes. "Don't ever tell anyone about our sleepovers, Sportaloon. The last thing I need is a bunch of pesky soon-to-be teenagers nagging me about trying to trick you into some weird marriage or something."

That made Sportacus giggle, the bright sounding making Robbie flinch on instinct. "Ah, I'm sorry Robbie but did anyone tell you how funny you are?"

Oh. That wasn't the answer he expected in return and the blush returned to his face. Seeing Sportacus just smile sleepily at him was starting to make him dizzy so Robbie just snorted and snuggled deeper into the pillow, shutting his eyes.

"Yes yes, can you please go to sleep now? I know it's past your bedtime, Sport." The insult wasn't as malicious as it was supposed to be because the elf just snickered in a much hushed tone, eyes sliding shut as he nestled into his pillow.

"Goodnight, Robbie."


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

  
_"I also think you're very pretty."_

_"You have such pretty grey eyes, a colour that I've never seen before."_

_"You have nice legs to look at and I like your smile. And I think you have beautiful scars, no matter what or where they came from. I was a little surprised at seeing them but it only adds to you're personality. I'm not trying to get you to like them but I only want you to see that every part of you is perfect, no matter what."_

Those sweet, kind-hearted words that came from Sportacus were stuck in Robbie's mind for almost a week now. He had been thinking about the last time he and the sports elf had spent some time together since he gathered his bearings from that night. Robbie frowned to himself at he let the memories flood through him, wondering why he would let Sportacus - the town hero - of all people sweet talk him and tell him those things in such an intimate manner.

Robbie had been completely shirtless and Sportacus had him wrapped in his powerful but comforting arms, running his fingers through his hair and telling him everything was going to be alright. He had a hard time believing that any of what the elf said was true and thought that maybe Sportacus had been telling him those things to get him to stop crying, to humor him or maybe just to hurry up and get on with it. Robbie had always thought he was bothersome towards the hero.

But the way Sportacus tenderly held him and talked to him in such a caring way always made a flare light inside of him and soon he would be blushing to nobody in particular with the feeling of butterflies swirling in his stomach. Of course the friendship they had was still new territory and even though Robbie had been hanging around him and those annoying children, talking with Sportacus and even engaging in some of those activities the kids liked, for some time, he couldn't help feeling a little light headed around the hero.

And here Robbie was, sitting on the edge of his barely used bed, the thick purple blankets denting below his body. His mind was not processing all that had happened properly and it was affecting his already poor sleeping schedule. He had been up since yesterday and even though he had soaked thoroughly in a hot bath to relax and tried some warm milk, Robbie wasn't able to sleep. So his mind began taunting him, his own thoughts being malicious and cruel.

_Why would Sportakook ever want me? Why would that perfect, handsome and kind-hearted elf want anything to do with me? There's nothing special about me._

Robbie's thoughts were toxic and he knew it but he could only focus on the intense pounding of his heart against his ribcage. It wasn't long before tears began building in his eyes and they gently trickled down his pale cheeks.

_Why did everything have to turn out this way? Why did the flippity blue elf have to worm his way into my life and be all nice and chippery?_

Why did Sportacus have to come into his lair and see him like this? See his ugly, horrible scars and start acting like he wanted to help him? To care for him? Robbie's tears were coming faster and soon sobs racked his body then, shoulders shaking.

He tried to get a grip on his emotions but it failed as he continued to think in a horrible way. Robbie wrapped his arms around his pale form, just wondering why was life so hard and why did he have to suffer so much.

-

Sportacus had been enjoying a peaceful sleep until the loud, unfriendly chirping of his crystal tore him from his rest. Shooting up in bed, he glanced down to see it flashing urgently and visions of one lonely, sad man came into his mind. Only one person fit that description and Sportacus was out of bed instantly, kicking the blankets off wildly, heading for the door and with a rushed shout of "open!" he was already sliding down the rungs of his ladder to reach the empty park of Lazytown.

Sportacus sprinted off towards the giant billboard at the end of town, not stopping to catch his breath. He easily opened the heavy hatch that was behind it and once it was safe to enter, he jumped down the silo and landed with cat-like grace onto the floor below.

He searched the dimly lit bunker before him, eyes still widened in alert when he seen that the fluffy orange chair was unoccupied and that the kitchen was darkened, the lights having been turned off. Usually Robbie would be sitting in his chair but he wasn't there, so that meant he had gone into his room.

He had forgotten how large the underground lair really was, seeing as there was a top balcony that ran across the entire place but there was only one hallway, that was filled with a couple of doors, Robbie's bedroom being one of them. Most of the rooms there were jagged and had arched ceilings, filled with machinery and junk.

Sportacus almost sighed in relief that the taller man was in there but his crystal was still sounding off, flashing multicolours to tell him that the problem hadn't been solved. He headed over towards the first right door of the hallway and knocked on it, hoping he would get an answer.

Luckily he did because but all he could make out was hushed sobs.

Hoping he would forgive him for invading his privacy, Sportacus opened the door and spotted Robbie sitting on the bed and was shaking, shoulders hiked and with his back to him. He was in a pair of purple pajama bottoms and nothing else, pale skin glinting underneath the bright lights and his scars were on display. The elf was getting a slight feeling of deja vu again and wondered how many times had he walked into Robbie's bedroom already, finding him upset and in dissaray.

"Robbie..." Sportacus trailed off and took a few steps closer to him, almost jerking back when Robbie let out a few harsh sobs and quickly stood to his feet. His face was flushed red, cheeks covered in harsh tear tracks and his eyes were bloodshot. He wondered if he had been getting any sleep at all but from the horrible look on the villain's face, he knew it was his insomnia that had kicked in sometime again.

"Why!? Why do you always have to be this way?" Robbie all but shouted, body shaking as he stared into Sportacus' light blue eyes, as if searching them for an answer.

Shocked by the outburst, Sportacus took a step back to respect the man's personal space and tried to ignore the persistent chirping of his crystal.

"Robbie, I don't understand. What are you talking about? What way am I being?" Robbie just sniffled roughly and tried wiping at his eyes with his wrist but the tears didn't stop and continued to run down his flushed face.

"Y - you know exactly what I mean, Sportaloon! Why are you always coming to my rescue!? What's so special about me that you have to rush down here every time and do all - all of these nice, warm-hearted things for me? Hug me and comfort me? Why? What have I ever done to deserve any type of emotional support!?" Robbie seemed to ramble on and it was clear that his lack of sleep was affecting him.

Sportacus realized this and wanted to get closer to comfort him but he needed Robbie to be calm and collected so he wouldn't be a danger to himself.

Sportacus had seen the old, now fading scars that had lined Robbie's left arm awhile back but didn't know where they had come from until he heard one of the older kids speaking to the school's social worker about it the other day, a negative coping method known as self harm. He had been aware of people inflicting damage upon themselves but to learn that Robbie had once done such a thing to himself was disarming and heart breaking. The hero didn't know when he had done them but the scars looked fairly old and blended in with his skin, so it may have been from years ago.

Still, Robbie was in an unstable state of mind and anything could happen right now. He could try to attack him or try to hurt himself again and Sportacus couldn't allow that.

He wouldn't allow it. "Robbie, please listen to me. I know that you're upset but just try to calm down, alright? You don't mean those things. You're stronger that that, I know you are. I'm only here to help you." His gentle words did nothing to calm the taller man, who instead made a crumpled expression as his shoulders and body shook from his cries.

"But why!? Why would you want do do these things for me? Please Sportacus, just tell me that you hate me or - or that you think I'm hideous! Tell me I'm a bad villain! Tell me you want me to kick you out of town! Just do anything so that I can stop thinking about you! There's nothing special about me, I'm a poor excuse for a villain and a failure to my family! Please, just - just -"

Robbie didn't get a chance to finish before Sportacus approached him and gently placed both hands on each side of his face, trying to still the violent tremors in his body.

"Robbie, _please calm down_!" Sportacus hadn't meant to say it so loudly but despite his voice sounding a little rough, it did the trick as Robbie broke off from his ramble and just stared down at him with tired, watery grey eyes. He looked completely exhausted and with how long he was down here like this, he was becoming sleep deprived and he was probably dehydrated too.

The elf let out a sigh then, looking down to see that his crystal had stopped chirping but was now whining lowly. The problem still hadn't been solved but he was getting there - _hopefully_.

Sportacus continued in a soft, calming voice, "I'm sorry for yelling Robbie but please, I need you to calm down and breathe. Can you do that for me?" Robbie's face was still a slate of various emotions but he nodded gently and began focusing his breathing through his nose and exhaled out his mouth.

"Good, that's good. Now I'm going to bring you some water because you need it, okay? Is that alright?" When the taller man nodded again, Sportacus left him hesitantly before disappearing into the dark kitchen.

He found a few glass mugs and grabbed the one that wasn't chipped before filling it up with cold water and a few ice cubes. Sportacus returned to the room to see Robbie still standing there with his slender arms crossed over his chest, face looking pale and sick.

"Drink this, okay? Please, it will help you relax enough so you can get some sleep." Robbie took the cup with shaky hands and with Sportacus holding it at the bottom, he sipped it a few times before pulling away from it.

Setting the half empty mug onto the oak dresser, Sportacus noticed that his crystal was now humming lightly, only faint colours flickering. The problem was almost taken care of but he needed to make sure Robbie wouldn't do anything to hurt himself.

Trying not to stare at those old scars on his arm, Sportacus looked around for something and found his silk robe laying in a pile on the floor. Picking it up, he held it out to Robbie who uncrossed his arms groggily and managed to slip it on with the hero's help. Robbie was in a bad state of mind and the last thing he wanted was to embarrass him like last time. Indecency never helped a situation like this.

Sportacus finished tying the belt that connected the robe before he took a step back and stared up into Robbie's bloodshot, droopy eyes.

"Okay, now you need some sleep. I know you have trouble doing that but if you need me too, I'll stay here until you do. Is that alright with you?" Robbie, looking down at the hero blearily with silent tears still running down his pale cheeks, just nodded because he couldn't find any words to say.

"Okay." The elf whispered and helped Robbie into bed, being careful not to touch his shoulder blades as he drew the thick blankets around him.

Robbie let out a shuddering breath when he was fully nestled in the blankets, bottom lip trembling lightly. The presence of the hero sitting next to him helped a little bit but he still felt shaky. For a moment he didn't know what to say, just stared into those calming blue eyes as Sportacus sat himself on the edge of the bed, hat now in his hand as the other ran through messy gold locks.

"I - I'm sorry, Sportacus... I didn't mean to w - wake you..." Sportacus shook his head then, reaching over to take Robbie's hand in his, looking down at how his bronzed skin contrasted sharply to his pale, ivory skin.

"No, Robbie, it's okay. When the crystal goes off, the person in trouble is always going to come first, no matter who or what they are." His voice was low but firm, a clear indication that he was exhausted but meant what he was saying.

Robbie just nodded when his mind couldn't find words and closed his eyes, his face suddenly feeling heavy and tight. It wasn't long before the taller man drifted off into a slumber, the worry and stress lines leaving his face and melting away. Sportacus quietly sat there with him, staring at his pale features and wondering what he would be like if he wasn't so annoyed or tired all of the time or if he got liberal amounts of sleep. The worry line in his forehead would be less noticeable and the frown lines would go away too, most likely.

Sportacus covered his mouth to hide his yawn and when he was sure Robbie was fast asleep, he gently pulled his hand free, stopping to press a light kiss to bruised knuckles. He gently tucked Robbie's hand under the blankets before he carefully opened the bedroom door and stepped out into the dark hallway, holding a breath when the door closed with a creak.

He sighed then and smiled when he noticed that his crystal had stopped flashing, and he placed a hand over it, patting it lightly.

"Goodnight, Robbie." Sportacus whispered to the closed door before he quietly exited the underground lair and headed back to his airship.

-

"Sportacus? Are you okay?"

Sportacus just blinked and held back a yawn as he glanced down at the pink-haired girl. Stephanie was looking up at him with wide, worried eyes as she twiddled her hands nervously. She was always so caring and calm it made his heart warm at the thought.

"Yes, I'm alright Stephanie. Why do you ask?" Sportacus asked her in a chippy tone of voice to try and ease her concern but her brown eyes held something in them that made him wonder if she was getting old enough to know when he was lying.

He was a terrible liar for starters but still, that didn't stop him from doing it before. Stephanie just sighed and looked around to make sure any other kids couldn't hear what they were talking about. Luckily they were inside or about somewhere else, leaving her and Sportacus alone to talk.

"It's just that you look tired today and you seem a little... off, if that makes sense. Oh and don't tell him I told you but Pixel said he spotted you out in the park last night running around or something." Oh, well. Sportacus could feel the back of his neck heat up but he managed to force a smile and gently placed a hand atop her pink hair, patting the silky locks in a comforting way.

Sportacus knew the kids were becoming smart and even though Stephanie was almost eleven, she always had a good grasp on any situation.

"Also," Stephanie quirked a brow and reached up to gently twirl a lock of his sunburnt blonde hair in her index finger, "You forgot to wear your hat today. I've seen you without it before but none of the other kids have. Are you sure you're okay?" She said with a small smile, retracting her hand and crossing her arms. Sportacus just chuckled and ran a hand through his hair as well, remembering where he had left it the previous night.

"I'm fine Stephanie, I promise." He knelt down to her level, "I just didn't get enough sleep last night, I... I had some important things to do and it required my immediate help." He gestured towards his crystal then without revealing any more to respect Robbie's privacy, and she glanced at it with wide eyes.

" _Oh_! Why didn't you say you had to help someone? You had me worried!" Stephanie said with a small giggle and leaned closer to wrap her arms around his neck in a hug.

Sportacus chuckled lightly and hugged her back before he stood back to his feet. "Why don't we go play some soccer? I know the others are inside but a one on one game is always fun."

Stephanie's pretty eyes lit up and she smiled brightly, "That sounds fun! I've been practicing and..." She looked around him and spotted the familiar blue periscope peeking up from one of the bushes.

He noticed her smile fade and turned to see what she was looking at. When Sportacus got a quick look at the periscope, it disappeared quickly just as fast as it came up. "Sportacus..." Stephanie said in a voice that sounded unsure of herself. The elf looked back towards her and expected to see anger or shock about Robbie possibly spying on them but he saw something that looked like concern or melancholy.

"Stephanie? Is there something you want to say?" Stephanie met his puzzled blue eyes and nodded hesitantly.

"I - I know it's none of my business but Robbie hasn't been outside lately and I - me and the kids have been a little worried." Sportacus sighed lightly and she continued, "I know he doesn't really like us and all that but we like when he dresses up in those cool outfits and play with us. We're worried about him, I'm worried. Is everything okay? Is he sick?"

Sportacus rubbed the back of his neck lightly, trying to find a way to explain it to her without being disrespectful to Robbie and without coming off too harsh to a child. Well more like a pre-teen but still, he didn't want to tell her things she didn't understand and didn't need to know until she was of age.

"Robbie is alright, I can assure you that, Stephanie. But sometimes there a certain things that only adults can talk about and only we can handle. You understand, right?"

"Yes, I think so, Sportacus. Just tell Robbie, whenever you see him, just tell him that we're all worried about him and we want him to get better. Oh! Give him this, if you can."

Stephanie fished around in her pink purse for something and managed to pull out a pink, fluffy teddy bear that looked to big to be able to fit in there in the first place. It had big eyes with a little white bow around it's neck. Sportacus had to stop himself from giggling with glee at how generous the act was but gingerly took the little bear from her and placed a hand on her small shoulder.

"That's very sweet of you, Stephanie. I'm sure Robbie will love it." Sportacus shared a smile with her and they both took off towards the soccer field.


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

 

 

Robbie had woken the next day following another emotional breakdown, one that Sportacus had to witness again, feeling a little better but still groggy. His body - mostly his back - was still very sore from him being hunched over from all hours of the night and still needed to soak in a hot as can be bath.

Out of curiosity and maybe a little bit of nosiness, Robbie had ventured into the main part of his lair and peered through his periscope. He knew the sports elf didn't stay with him last night, probably because he needed to sleep in his own bed.

He spotted Sportacus chatting with Stephanie and from what he could tell, the pink haired girl had her face drawn in concern and Sportacus, to his surprise, wasn't wearing that ridiculous blue hat.

Of course Robbie had seen him without his hat on those times he stayed down in his hair but to see those curly golden locks out in the middle of the day, the sun casting off of his head and making his hair look like a fluffy halo around his head was breathtaking. He was also sleep deprived to the point of seeing nothing but blur so that was another reason why.

Still, Robbie couldn't focus on how good looking the sports elf was at the moment because there was still a nagging issue that needed to be solved. Even though Sportacus had been nothing but nice to him, he had to know that the villain wasn't fully human.

There was no way he wasn't aware of the magic that had been surrounding LazyTown ever since his arrival, just like he had to have known about him being part fae. Robbie didn't know about Sportacus being an elf from the start but gradually put things together to come to a conclusion that he was.

Maybe Sportacus didn't know what he was. Maybe Sportacus was too naive to notice or maybe he was smart enough not to call the villain out for it, because he thought by simply being nice that they would get along.

Well it did the trick because Robbie had stopped trying to kick the elf out of town almost a year ago and the two were now, well what he thought, partially friends. Close friends? Dare he say it, best friends?

When Sportacus had turned around to spot the periscope due to Stephanie pointing it out, Robbie had quickly pulled it back underground.

Why was he hiding from them anyway?

Scowling to himself, Robbie pushed the periscope away and crossed his slender arms over his robe, wondering why he was thinking about these things. Stalking towards the bathroom, Robbie just sighed and thought about his wonderful bath instead of anything else.

-

Sometime later, Robbie finished soaking and frowned when he realized that he was out of bathing towels and his favourite aftershave. Groaning inwardly, the villain threw on his normal clothes before heading outside. When he opened the hatch and expected to be blinded, he was instead met by the now setting sun and an orange glow, nothing but pure silence surrounding him. Robbie blinked before pulling himself out of the hatch and walked around the billboard.

"Guess I must've spent more time in the bath than I thought." He always had a nack for losing track of time and he sighed, rubbing his knuckles across his waist coat. Luckily there was no one outside at this time, most likely having gone inside due to the sun setting. He wondered if Sportacus was around but nixed that thought. The chipper sports elf was likely in bed seeing that it was a little past seven o'clock.

He snorted at that, wondering what is was like for the elf to play babysitter at one in the morning while he let his emotions get the better of him.

Robbie headed to the various stores that LazyTown owned and breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that the local shopping market was still open. It looked fairly empty, which was good news for him. Shopping alone was what he preferred and the quietness helped him get what he needed and he was in and out in no time.

"Wait, Robbie!" Oh no. It couldn't be the blue kangaroo? He knew that accent anywhere, so he was probably right.

Robbie stopped in his tracks, still holding the door to the market open as Sportacus came jogging up to him, looking a little red in the face and he was panting somewhat. That was an unusual sight, Robbie thought but just sighed and stared down at him.

"What can I do for you, Sportaflop?" He noticed the elf's smile falter for a moment but tried not to pay any attention to it.

"I was about to head up to the airship before I saw you walking here. I thought you might want some company." Robbie frowned a little but seeing the tired gleam in those baby blue eyes then made his features soften. Yelling at Sportacus for trying to be nice wasn't going to help in the least and, as much as he hated to admit it, he appreciated being taken care of the other night and the times before too.

Maybe he could be a little nice in exchange for once.

"If you want to, but I'm not picking out any sportscandy." That made Sportacus smile a little bit, cheeks still looking a little red. Was it from the summer heat? Robbie honestly couldn't tell and let Sportacus walk in before him. He looked down at the shorter male as they made their way through the empty isles, noticing that he wasn't jittery or trying to do walking handstands.

That was another unusual sight but Robbie tried not to stare and found the bathroom supplies.

"There you are." He mumbled to himself while he picked out a few dark purple and orange bathing towels, making sure they were long enough for his build. He rubbed his long fingers across the fabric, face etched in concentration as he made sure they were soft enough not to be rough against his already sensitive skin. Sportacus stood quietly to the side, bouncing on his heels as he glanced around.

"Do you always go shopping this late, Robbie?" The villain gathered the towels in his arms before he began moving towards the next isle.

"Sometimes, only when I want to get some peace and quiet. Most of the time I order things because they come quicker and it's easier." Sportacus just smiled in agreement and followed him down the empty rows, before they stopped near the makeup and body department.

Watching Robbie pick out cosmetics was interesting; there were so many different colours to choose from and the elf blushed a little at how good the villain would look in all of them. Robbie picked out somethings and came back to him with a few eyeshadow palettes in his hands now and what looked like a bottle of clear hair gel.

The next isle they walked through contained a lot of personal items, such as a body lotion, shaving cream, moist wipes and intimate wash. Robbie crouched down as he scanned the various labels of aftershave, trying to find the best one for sensitive skin.

As he did that, Sportacus looked a little intrigued and began reading the ingredients of an Aloe Vera lotion bottle. "Do you shave, Robbie?"

Robbie looked up at the hero with a raised eyebrow. The question was a little strange but he just nodded as he turned his attention back towards the bottom shelf.

"Believe it or not Sportakook, I do grow facial hair. I just don't like the feel of it on my face." Sportacus looked curious now and stepped back with his hands on his hips.

"I think a beard would look liberating on you, Robbie. You have the face for it. " He chuckled after saying that and the villain was sure his cheeks were filling with blood.

Was that a compliment? He couldn't tell if it was or not but it still made him feel a little warm. Trying to hide his blush, he reached the bottle that worked best for his skin and stood up again.

He looked over the various things he was holding and when he was sure he had gotten everything he needed, he stared down at Sportacus and tried to smile. The both headed towards the self check out, thankful that it was empty and nobody had spotted them.

As they exited the store, Robbie protesting to the sports elf about carrying his bags but just groaned when Sportacus insisted anyway and took all of them in one hand. "You don't have to carry all of them, you stupid elf. I'm not _that_ weak."

Sportacus just shook his head, some of his hair waving around a bit. A small curl fell on his forehead and the villain resisted the urge to brush the golden lock back.

"I never said you were weak but I just want to help you. I know you've been tired lately and the last thing I want is you to struggle. Everyone needs a break sometimes." Robbie knew he was blushing again.

That was incredibly endearing and for a minute he didn't know what to say, so he just looked at the pavement below as they reached the area of town that held everybody's houses. The sun had gone down completely now, taking away the beautiful orange glow and leaving nothing but dark skies filled with glittering stars.

The walk towards the large billboard on the other side of town was still quiet but when they reached the hatch behind it, Sportacus smiled tiredly. "Do you need any help? I know it's late but I -"

"Yes yes, I know. You want to help because you're my friend. I get it but please don't go flipping about. The last thing I need is you breaking something and then I spend the entire night fixing whatever it is." Robbie said with a little gruff but Sportacus just giggled lightly, blue eyes looking shiny even in the night air.

The villain looked at his face, wondering if the sports elf was so tired he didn't care what was going on. Snorting, he opened the hatch and they both carefully made their way down the long pipe.

When they entered the blacked out lair, Robbie snapped his fingers and a few lights came on, lighting up the dark area by his chair and his kitchen. Either Sportacus didn't notice or he was focused on helping the villain put away his purchases items, and Robbie couldn't care less as long as it spared him the headache.

Sighing when everything was put away, Robbie plopped down into his fluffy chair after taking off his shoes, feeling relieved when his feet were given the breathing room they needed.

Sportacus surprisingly plopped down onto the plush orange carpet and rested his cheek in one palm, eyes fluttering softly and a gentle smile falling on his face.

For a moment Robbie didn't know if he could handle how adorable he looked at the moment but shook himself free and managed to pull off a light frown. "If you're tired, why don't you go to sleep? Keeping yourself up isn't going to do you any good, Sportaloon."

The elf just chuckled lightly again and ran a hand through his hair. "It's nice to know you care Robbie, even though you're such a good villain."

The small remark made Robbie's throat constrict and he was sure he was blushing. _Again_.

Ignoring it, he leaned forward on his chair and ran a tired hand down his long face.

"Yes, well, I think you should go get some sleep. Even if you are going to spend the morning jumping around with those annoying kids that will wake me up, you shouldn't stay up for my sake. I'm not that important." Robbie had to look away when Sportacus's face drew on a perplexed stare, as if wondering if he heard the taller man right.

"Robbie," The hero started in a low, comforting voice, "I wish you wouldn't think that way. I know that losing sleep isn't good for me but I want you to know that I do these things because I care and because I want you to realize it too."

Robbie continued to stare at his legs at hearing this but shook his head slightly.

He drew a hand back through his now curly hair, now realizing that he hadn't had it done since earlier in the afternoon. Sportacus had gone without a hat for the entire day and Robbie went around with unruly curls of dark hair. _Well_ , he thought to himself, _that makes two of us looking like clowns_.

Although Sportacus couldn't look bad if he tried.

"... You left your hat here, by the way." He said in a low voice and leaned around his chair towards the side table. He pulled open the orange painted drawer and dug around until he produced the blue hat. Sportacus's eyes crinkled lightly when he smiled and he gently took the hat from the villain. He didn't put it on though and just held it in his hands before he jumped to his feet, a wide smile on his face.

"Thank you, Robbie. I was wondering where it went to!" The chipper tone made Robbie wince but he just crossed his arms over his chest.

"Don't humor me, Sport. You know you left it down here, you're just saying those things to make me blush again." Robbie's eyes widened at what he said but before he could recollect himself and brush it off, Sportacus was laughing again and the lovely sound sent a warm chill through his heart.

He hadn't meant to say that out loud but the damage was done so he just scowled again and pulled on his best 'i'm moody and crabby' expression.

But Sportacus saved him any embarrassment and stuffed the hat safely into his vest. "I should probably get going, it is late and I promised Stephanie that I would be up early so we can practice some baseball." Robbie only shook his head, rubbing at the crease at his forehead.

"Who are you kidding? You always get up early, Sportacus." Robbie tried to sound malicious but cringed when his voice came out soft. "Anyways I think I'm going to try and get some sleep too, because I'll need a full night's rest if I plan on kicking you out of town again."

Sportacus' face dropped then, eyes looking a bit sad at hearing that.

"Robbie... You don't mean that, do you?" Robbie wanted to laugh at how pathetic the hero sounded but he only rolled his eyes before pulling himself to his feet. He walked over towards the elf and tugged down on his waist coat instinctively.

"Of course not, I was joking, Sportanerd. Now can you please go get some sleep so I can get some sleep and then maybe we won't look like shit tomorrow?" Sportacus ignored the slight use of profanity and in favor smiled again, this time more tiredly than before.

It had to almost around ten o'clock and this was cutting into his sleep schedule. "Okay, Robbie." He was about to turn around and leave before stopping again.

Robbie watched him come back to him but before he could ask him what was wrong, he instead flinched when he felt a pair of lips touch his cheek gently. His face was on fire instantly, one hand coming up to cup his now burning skin after the elf pulled away.

 _Did - Did Sportacus just kiss me!?_  

The villain didn't know what to say or do, so he just stood there frozen with wide eyes, Sportacus looking up at him with a cheerful expression.

 _Did this annoying elf just_ -

"See you tomorrow, Robbie!" And with that, the flipping blue elf was up the hatch and all he heard was the metal lid being closed gently, though the noise still echoed around the ceiling pipes.

"Did you just kiss me!?" Robbie had shouted up the pipe a few minutes after Sportacus had left, his cheek still tingling from the affectionate act. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wanted to post this now because i won't be online for a bit. i didn't want to but - happy reading, meme friends. xo


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

  
As grateful as Sportacus has been when he and Robbie had begun to fall back into a normal friendship again, there was still a number of problems that plagued him. He didn't want to think about the damage that the previous hero had inflicted on Robbie but there was just something about it that he needed to know. He wanted to talk with the villain about it, maybe even get him to open up a little bit, if he could.

The last thing Sportacus wanted to do was pressure Robbie more than he felt he had already done before but he knew that if the taller man talked about what happened, then he wouldn't feel so stressed out and tense. Well, he hoped that would be the case. The hero wanted to go talk to Robbie soon but since it was around twelve in the afternoon, his attention was wanted by the kids. They were busily playing a game of catch with Stephanie's pink ball in the soccer field.

Apparently he hadn't been paying attention all that much because he kept hearing Stephanie trying to get his attention. "Sportacus - _look out_!"

He gasped out loud and fell backwards after the pink ball was sent hurling towards his face. The force of it was strong enough to knock him onto the cement sidewalk below, and he had to shake his head to get rid of the dizzy vision.

"Sportacus! Are you okay!?"

It was Stephanie, who came running up to him with wide, startled eyes. Her cheeks were flushed a little pink but it was probably from the summer heat. Seeing she was expecting an answer, Sportacus rubbed his now sore nose before flipping back to his feet.

"I'm fine, Stephanie." His answer didn't please her because her brown eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms. "Are you sure? When do you ever get so side tracked that you get hit in the face with a ball?" Well, there was that. He always knew she was smarter than she looked and maybe a little more intellectual for a soon to be twelve year old.

He sighed and began ringing his hands together, something she raised her eyebrows at. "Are you nervous about something, Sportacus?" Her question was genuine because Stephanie had seen him in a nervous state before and it always worried her. She knew he was only a slightly above average but even they had their flaws. Of course, she promised the hero she wouldn't say anything like that in front of Ziggy due to his hero worship.

Sportacus looked around before speaking softly, "I just have some personal things on my mind. Nothing too bad but sometimes I zone out and think about them." Hearing him admit something personal made Stephanie's face twist in worry and she gently took his hand in both her smaller ones, squeezing them reassuringly.

"Everything will be okay, Sportacus. Just remember that whatever you're dealing with, there's always a way." Smiling warmly at her words, Sportacus opened his arms and she stepped in his tight embrace.

They had always been close with one another and Stephanie regarded him as a father figure, and Sportacus seeing her as the daughter he never had but always wanted. His father had always pushed him to give him grand children but maybe if he met Stephanie, he would see the father-daughter relationship they had.

Sportacus had often thought of his parents meeting with Robbie but that would seem silly as the two were not in a relationship. The elf would never tell the taller man but he had often thought about the two of them being together.

But he knew those thoughts would probably scare Robbie off and that was the last thing he needed. Sportacus pulled away and patted her head fondly. "Thank you, Stephanie. What else did you want to do today?" She tapped her chin thoughtfully and threw the blue clad hero a cheeky grin.

"Well, why don't we go on a picnic? We can bring some sportscandy, some lemonade and maybe some snacks? It's already such a nice day outside!" Stephanie beamed as she gestured towards the trees that were lining the area, the sun bright as it casted down off them. It was warm outside but there was also a slight breeze, and it caused her pink locks to wave around every now and then.

Sportacus placed his balled fists onto his hips. "That sounds like a good idea!" Her face changed then, eyes narrowing as her mouth curled in contemplation.

"Sportacus," She started and looked around the surrounding area, "I know this is going to sound strange but how about we invite Robbie? You said he was feeling better and I think some water and some fresh air would help him a lot. You always say we need to be healthy, but maybe that's what Robbie needs. Could it hurt to go ask him?" Sportacus was a little surprised at hearing her say this but still, he agreed with it.

Maybe all Robbie needed was some air and some fresh food. "I suppose not. It sounds like a good idea to me." When her smile returned to her face, he chuckled and they both stopped her uncle's house to gather the things they needed.

Plenty of water, some fresh red apples, a pitcher of lemonade that Milford had made earlier and sandwiches. Stephanie also wrapped up two slices of strawberry shortcake for Robbie and tucked them safety into the bright pink basket.

"Are we all ready?" Stephanie nodded enthusiastically at the elf's question, a triumph smile on her face. "Yes, did you bring that blanket for us to sit on?" Sportacus smiled and called up towards his airship, "Blanket!" and down came a soft looking, baby blue blanket.

He had used it on a rare occasion when he performed stretches up in his airship but there was no reason why it wouldn't be good for a picnic. With everything ready, the two of them headed over towards the large billboard.

Stepping around it, Sportacus winked down at the pink pixie and wrapped his knuckles against the blue steel as lightly as he could. Even though it wasn't a loud knock, Stephanie jumped a bit when she realized the sound began echoing around the pipes below and made even more noise than he attempted too.

Sportacus chuckled nervously, a red gleam shadowing his cheeks as Stephanie giggled softly. "Oops."

Robbie had been snoring peacefully in his sleep, sprawled awkwardly across his fluffy orange chair, one long leg hanging off the edge before he was jolted awake by a loud banging noise coming from the pipes above. With an angry snarl, he kicked his blankets off with wild feet and adjusted his robe over his regular choice of clothes so he didn't trip over it when he stood up.

He was going to make those protestors pay for leaving another one of those lawn mowing company flyers on his property! Couldn't he get any sleep around here? There were only a few hours in the day and he intended to sleep through them all. He already had an aching back and on top of that, his scars would not stop itching and it was driving him up the wall. So he attempted to sleep it off and was slightly annoyed that someone woke him up.

Mumbling to himself, he crawled up the ladder until he reached the top.

Begrudgingly he pushed the hatch open, squinting his eyes at the blinding sun and was about ready to chew whoever it was out. "I don't know who you think you are but you've got a lot of nerve interrupting my beauty sleep!" Robbie peered around until his eyes settled on the surprised face of Sportacus.

"Oh, it's _you_ , Sportakook. I thought or sure it was one of those annoying brats - " He spotted Stephanie then and softened his features."Nevermind. What do you want?"" He spoke with a slight sneer, arms crossing over his striped robe.

Sportacus looked him over then, wanting to frown when he saw how tired the taller man looked at the moment. His dark hair was in perfect condition but the noticeable dark bags under his eyes were unmistakable.

"Hi Robbie, I hope we're not bothering you?" Sportacus asked, sending him a cheerful smile and Stephanie did as well. Robbie looked down at her and tried raising the corners of his pink mouth to form a smile but it didn't work as he wanted. Stephanie, being the bright girl she was, saw what he was trying to do and just giggled before smiling up at him with adoration in her brown eyes.

"Maybe you are, but who knows. Now what do you want? Because I was about to make me some cake." Stephanie perked up then, and spoke before Sportacus could.

"Me and Sportacus were just about to go towards the lake and have a picnic! Do you want to come with us?" With that, the pink haired girl batted her doe eyes and the effect seemed to work because Robbie found himself looking down at her with a gentle smile. Sportacus just stared at him, never seeing the villain's features looking so relaxed before. He looked handsome, beautiful even.

Robbie crossed his arms and leaned back against the hatch. "Let me guess, you packed a bunch of healthy shi - _food_ and some disgusting sportscandy?" Stephanie just smirked at his attempt to stop his foul language before tapping the pink basket lightly with her finger nails. "Why would I want to go in the first place? What's in it for me?" He winced at his own voice, not trying to sound so mean but he was tired and hungry. A few good slices of his chocolate cake would ultimately make him feel better.

"Maybe, but maybe I have some strawberry shortcake my uncle made. You know he is a great cook and I know you've had his desserts before. Are you sure you don't want to go with us?"

Robbie faltered a bit, mouth watering at the mention of strawberry shortcake. Sportacus looked between them but couldn't help a smile when Robbie's shoulders relaxed and he rubbed at the crease at his forehead lightly. "Alright, I'll go with you. But _ONLY_ if it's just three of us! I don't need anymore pestering kids poking and nagging at me."

Sportacus wanted to remind him that nothing would be happen but he just kept quiet. Reminding the villain of something as irrelevant as that would only cause problems.

"Hold on a minute," Robbie ducked back into the shaft and with a snap of his fingers, his robe was gone and was placed safety into one of his disguise tubes. Brushing off his waist coat and pants, he popped his head back up and climbed out of the shaft.

When he almost slipped, Sportacus lunged forward and gently caught him under the arms before he fell backwards, to the amusement of Stephanie who giggled.

"Are you okay, Robbie?" The elf questioned him gently, and Robbie could feel his cheeks fill with blood before he shook himself free by pushing the hands away.

Sportacus took a step back to respect the man's privacy and Robbie huffed out loudly. He tugged down onto his vest instinctively before glowering down at the two.

"Yes, yes I'm fine! Can we go now?"

 

-

 

It didn't take long for three of them to make it up to the lake. It was a little past the beautiful, green forest that surrounded most of the local area, sun light beaming through the parted trees and making it look more greener than usual. Summer in this town was always enjoyable, although it could be quite hot, there was always remedies for it.

It was pretty warm this afternoon but the slight breeze was welcome. Robbie scowled when the bright sun rays hit his eyes and he had to use his hand as a shield so he wouldn't be blinded. Sportacus and Stephanie were walking ahead of him by a couple of feet, smiling and looking and happy and cheery. Robbie just frowned and tried not to look at the good friendship they had, wondering if the elf even considered him a friend at all.

After his embarrassing emotional breakdowns, who would want to be around him?

"Robbie! Over here!" He snapped out of his gaze and looked around before spotting Stephanie and the flippity elf standing under a large oak free. It was pretty huge and had enough space under it for the three of them to sit. It also gave off enough shade so he wouldn't be blinded. Robbie headed over towards them and as soon as Sportacus had laid out the blue blanket, he plopped down onto it.

"Here Robbie, I brought this for you." He looked down and spotted two slices of delicious looking strawberry shortcake. They had white whipped frosting around the edges with half cut strawberries surrounding the top and full ones circling the bottom of it.

Robbie gave her a nervous laugh before gingerly taking them from her. He didn't want to snatch them in fear of making her cry but he also didn't want to drop them either! He was always too scared to go to the bakery by himself so he was internally grateful for this. He usually baked his own cake but this - his mouth was already watering.

"I, uh, "A loud cough and a faint blush on his cheeks, "Thank you for this, little girl." Was all Robbie could manage before he adjusted his seat on the soft blanket and sniffed one o them experimentally. Sighing at the amazing scent, he took one bite out of it and instantly felt like he was on cloud nine. It was light, fluffy and practically melted in his mouth.

Stephanie beamed after watching him enjoy the cake and sent a little smile to Sportacus, who winked back at her. He took a seat across from the villain on the blanket and did some quick arm stretches before reaching into the basket. He pulled out a fresh red apple and took a bite out of it, smiling when Stephanie did the same.

"How have you been, Robbie?" Sportacus asked him gently.

The villain wiped his mouth with a napkin from the basket before sighing again. "Just _fine_ , Sportaloon. I've been tired like always and I'm easily annoyed, like always." Something in his voice made the elf want to question him but due to the presence of Stephanie, he restrained himself and instead hopped back up to his feet.

"If you say so. I think I'm going to do some exercises and stretches." Robbie just sneered and brought his knees up to his chest, arms wrapping around them tightly. Something about the position and small pout bothered the elf but again, he repressed his need to speak out and started doing some hamstring pulls.

His biceps flexed under the bright sunlight and for some reason, Robbie found himself staring. The hero was undoubtedly attractive and his sculpted body and intense smile went along with it. Robbie looked up at the annoying blue hat he was wearing, his mind tracking back to when he had seen the elf's hair out in the daylight a few days ago. Curled locks of sunburnt blonde hair, looking shiny and soft to touch under the harsh sun rays.

Robbie then wondered what his body would look like glistening under the sun, maybe slick with sweat and his blood pumping from exertion. He nervously bit down onto his bottom lip at the thought and immediately nipped it in the bud. Thinking about such things made butterflies fill his stomach and with Stephanie with them this time, he couldn't afford embarrassing himself right now.

"Would you like some, Robbie?" He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he only heard partially of what Stephanie asked and took what she offered. Absentmindedly he bit into it before stopping when he heard more childish giggling from the pink haired girl.

Robbie turned towards her and frowned. "What's so funny, pinky?"

Stephanie just giggled again before answering. "It's just that I've never seen you eat a banana before. I didn't know you liked them!"

Robbie's eyes widened before he glanced down at the banana in his hand as if it was poison. "Sportscandy! _Yech_!" He sputtered and spit the rest of into a napkin, much to the humor of Stephanie who continued to giggle.

"Don't you like it, Robbie? It's sweet!" Stephanie asked between her laughs and this only cemented the frown on his face.

"I - I don't eat sportscandy! Even if it was a little sweet..." He trailed off softly, looking down at the fruit in his hand. Stephanie just snorted and fished around in the basket for something else to snack on and he discreetly took a few more bites of the banana before shoving the rest of it in the used napkin. _It did taste pretty sweet_ , Robbie thought then. _Maybe I'll pick some up the next time I'm out_.

Sportacus ventured back over towards them on his hands, and flipped back into a sitting position on the blanket. Luckily he didn't witness what just happened because it would have been a nightmare for the villain for sure. The elf smiled brightly when Stephanie handed him some orange slices and he popped a few into his mouth.

Stephanie also poured herself a cup of lemonade and another one she handed to Robbie.

He took it from her and sipped it to make sure it was sweet enough. When the cold liquid appealed to his sweet tooth, he took small sips of it. He had always been a little uncomfortable with eating in-front of other people and even though he was close to both the elf and the pink pixie, he was still a little shy.

"Do you want to go for a walk around the lake, Robbie?" Sportacus asked him as he took a drink of his water. Robbie just sneered lightly and crossed his thin arms again.

"No thanks."

"Then how about a swim? The water looks nice and cold today! You do look a little hot."

Robbie just scowled again, his face looking pale under the shade of the large tree. He didn't know why the elf was always trying to get him to do things with him. He had to know that any type of offer to hang out with him was going to be turned down. Unless he offered him a decent back massage and maybe a scalp like massage like before, then there was no way he was going to do anything else.

Sportacus inspected the taller man then, eyes narrowing. Robbie didn't say anything but he knew he was dealing with some sort of emotional distress. His shoulders were hiked upwards again and that frown, the one he hated looking at, was plastered on his pale face again.

Was his back bothering him again? Or was it...

He didn't want to think about those things so he just looked down at his lap. Maybe there was something he could do to ease the pain.

"Robbie, is your back hurting again?" He asked in a softened voice and the villain's cheeks lightly burned at this.

He glanced around and when he spotted Stephanie blowing rainbow bubbles near some flower bushes a little away from then, he hunched forward. "I - I don't _want_ to talk about it right now, Sportaflop."

"But Robbie, I can help you. Please tell me what's wrong? Is it your scars?" The tender subject made Robbie flinch softly but he continued to look down at the blanket they were on as he picked at some grass. His scars were bothering him, that was true, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to admit it yet. His nervousness showed at his actions and Sportacus felt a little bad for bringing it up but Robbie was his friend.

Robbie's shoulders slumped. No point in lying now.

"I - yes, it's my scars," He paused for a moment before continuing in a lower, tight voice,"They've been bothering me lately and I ran out of the ointment for them. It's never bothered me this much but they keep on itching and burning. I don't know what's wrong."

Sportacus frowned before he scooted closer. "Robbie, I can help relieve it. I don't know a lot about... elven magic but I can - " Something seemed to click and the villain snapped his head up, grey eyes looking wide and alert.

"You... _you_ can do magic?" The elf rubbed the back of his neck nervously before nodding sharply. He didn't know a lot of it and probably still had more to learn but he was taught by his mother at a young age about healing spells and the ability to make flowers and plants come back to life.

"I don't know a whole lot but I'm good with healing. I can't make the scars go away but whatever discomfort you're having, I can make it stop. Only if you allow me to."

Robbie looked back again, his face etched in contemplation. He could always refuse the stupid elf's help but that would cause more problems between them.

Also, he had been kissed on the cheek by said elf only a few days ago and that was still lingering around in his mind. Of course Sportacus was just tired and didn't know what he was doing but any sort of affection was strange and cold for him. And Sportacus's... his felt warm and welcoming.

He shifted somewhat, pale fingers rubbing across his knee. "I suppose you could... but not here and not in front of pinky." Sportacus didn't question it further and smiled brightly then, reaching out and taking one of Robbie's hands in his.

The villain felt like his cheeks were on fire at the simple touch, the elf's warm fingers feeling soothing. "Of course. Whatever you want, Robbie."

The affection made Robbie's face feel like it was on fire so he just awkwardly cleared his throat and went back to sipping his lemonade.

Stephanie returned when her bubbles ran out and they spent the rest of their time talking, Robbie opening up about how he had to fix up his lair once following a flood and Stephanie venturing into her childhood about her mother and her father teaching her about dance.

"It was nice hanging out with you, Robbie! I hope to see you soon." Said villain squeaked when she wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug. He gently patted her back in a way he thought was soothing and watched pink form retreat back to her house. Sportacus watched her go to before turning towards Robbie.

"Thank you for coming Robbie, it meant a lot to Stephanie that you were there."

Robbie just shook his head as they reached his billboard. He crossed his arms, "Yeah yeah, whatever. I only went with because she offered me cake!"

Sportacus just chuckled and rolled his eyes playfully. "Okay, Robbie." His face softened then and he took a step closer.

"It was nice seeing you! I should get back to my airship, though. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow?" Robbie didn't know if he would even be outside of his hatch tomorrow but just sighed and shrugged his shoulders loosely. Then again, his mind had always changed on him a lot.

"Maybe, Sportaloon. You won't know for sure until you see me." That seemed to sit well with Sportacus who grinned and gently laid a hand on the villain's shoulder.

Robbie looked down at the hand, feeling his heart beat pick up somewhat. "Have a good night, Robbie." When the blue hero took off in a couple of flips, the taller man watched on before letting out a loud sigh.

"Can't he walk anywhere like a _normal_ person?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thinking about throwing in some angst in the next chapter. this is just here because i've always wanted to write a picnic with the sportsfamily. 
> 
> happy reading, xo.


	6. Chapter 6

* * *

 

Robbie was curled up into the thick, purple blankets of his bed when he heard a strange but all too familiar feeling coming from inside -or around - his lair. It started as a soft, prickling feeling at the back of his neck before it transformed into a deep, throbbing sensation that filled his stomach.

He thought he was getting sick at first but when the wave of nausea didn't come, he knew it had to be something else.

Something else like... magic. At first the villain thought it was the usual that would float around his underground bunker but this seemed darker and more vibrant. He knew now that Sportacus held some magic but since it was only a smidge, he doubted it was him. Besides, why would the blue kangaroo be using magic around his lair?

Unlikely.

He didn't want to move from his very comfortable position but did anyway when he felt the strong pulsations continue.

"I swear to god - " Robbie muttered under his breath and groggily got out of his bed, looking around for his discarded robe. He found it bunched at the end of his bed before he threw it around himself, having been in nothing but his boxers from a bath earlier on.

Tying it around himself and shivering once his arms were lined with goosebumps, he stalked out into the main part of his lair and almost choked at who he saw.

"Hello there, pumpkin!" There, sitting in his orange recliner was the last person he had expected to see. This explained the strange, abnormal sense of magic he had felt earlier. It explained the dark tones that emanated around him too, filled with dark vibrant swirls and rich, magniloquent sensations.

" _G-Glanni_! What are you doing here?" Robbie asked in a forced tone of voice. Glanni simply chuckled and lifted one leather glad leg over the other.

Ah, of course he had to dress to impress whenever he came to visit. His leather pants clung to his long, curvy legs tightly and the dark magenta top he had on, although it covered everything, was transparent in the back and revealed his pale skin and the bumps of his spine.

"Why, I came to see how my baby brother was doing!" Glanni said with a wide smile, licking over his white teeth softly before he got to his feet.

As usual, he wearing a pair of black heeled boots that made him taller than he actually was and it always made Robbie feel a little self conscious.

Where Glanni was utterly confident in himself and loved to show off his body to anyone willing to look, Robbie hated his body and always preferred to wear long sleeves and long pants to hide what was underneath.

Robbie nervously picked at the inside of his robe pockets. "I - you, I call bullshit. You never come by to see how I'm doing."

Glanni merely chuckled and swiped a thumb over one, perfectly trimmed eyebrow.

They both resembled each other in a lot of ways, that outsiders who had seen them once would think they were one or the other. Robbie had loss count at how many times his relatives, although he stopped talking to them, had thought he was Glanni and the few times his distant uncle had asked Glanni why was he wearing his hair in that style.

It didn't help that they had the same grey coloured eyes, pale skin and dark, almost black hair. They were both tall and square shouldered, although it seemed that Robbie had a little more muscle mass to his biceps and legs, while Glanni was much trimmer and maybe had a little tone to flat stomach and chest. His brother also seemed to lack any type of body hair, skin looking smooth and soft and Robbie had a bit of dark chest hair and some lining his forearms and lower calves.

"How do you know that? I do love you after all, creamsicle. And you do look great!" Glanni said and sauntered over to him, somehow managing to kick off his heels. Now that they were gone, he only stood about an inch and a half over Robbie.

Robbie's cheeks burned a little at the compliment and he nervously looked down at himself, wondering if he had missed a change in his body. "I - really?"

Glanni nodded and clasped his hands together, revealing sharp, manicured nails. They were painted in a shimmery chrome pink and went along great with his pale skin.

"Mmm. And it looks like you lost that chub you had a year ago! Have you been cutting down on the cake?" His brother teased in a childish manner and a red gleam shadowed Robbie's face again.

Leave it to Glanni, the dangerously thin and half naked criminal, to make jokes about his weight. He had always been this way towards him since they were younger teens, making remarks and snorted cracks about how 'Robbie, you're gaining a little weight' and 'Oh Robbie, you've gotten a little pudgy'. Even though he was a pompous princess and was rude, he was a somewhat right in his observation.

Since Robbie had become friends with that flippity blue elf, he had adopted some healthier eating habits and noticed the change in his body after a few months of hanging around Sportacus and those pestering kids. He had gained some pounds from just eating endless amounts of cake and junk food over the years and had dropped a few of them in the last couple of months.

He still didn't like the way he looked but maybe Glanni was right, maybe he was looking better.

"Yes, actually. I just," Robbie paused and an uncomfortable look crossed his features, "Anyways, what did you want? I know you came by to ask me for something. Is it makeup again? Or do you need to dig through my clothes like last time?" He was still reminded of the nightmare of when Glanni borrowed one of his nicest silk shirts and returned it covered it dark liquor, mussy lipstick stains and what looked like saliva around the collar.

Glanni just scoffed and popped a bony hip out. "Oh please, you really think so low of me? I don't need to borrow anything, my little baby brother. I honestly just wanted to come by and see how you're doing! I heard from our mother - the bitch that she is - that you were in pain again."

His brother's serious tone made Robbie want to jump out the nearest window but he just sighed and rubbed at the crease at his forehead.

"How did you find out?" The villain's voice was quiet and tight. Glanni sighed in almost the same manner before taking a seat back in his orange recliner.

"What happened to you years ago still haunts our family, Robbie. It's hard not to notice when the magic falters or if the distress is still loud enough for us to hear. Even though your, well you know," He said while waving his hands about, "were taken away from you by that - that muscle headed shitstain, we, mostly me, can still feel your pain." Robbie flinched at the mere mention of what happened and he quickly averted his gaze towards the cold floor.

He couldn't think of anything to say then, blinking his eyes to keep the tears at bay.

Glanni inspected him, narrowing his eyes. "It's bothering you again, isn't it? Are you getting the normal itching this time or is it something worse?"

The villain remained quiet, still not looking at him and his brother took that as his answer. He got back to his feet and was behind his brother instantly, pulling his robe down to expose his scars.

"Glanni! What are you doing!?" Robbie spoke, not appreciating having his clothes yanked off his bare back.

Glanni just rolled his eyes and adjusted the silk robe to make sure it wouldn't fall from his waist.

"Stop being so fussy, pumpkin. I'm trying to help you here and you getting all shy on me isn't going to work. I've seen you naked before, our mother used to make us take baths together as kids." He giggled after that and Robbie groaned inwardly.

He muttered something under his breath that his brother couldn't hear but Glanni was already going to work. His placed his hands over the scars lightly and focused a little bit of magic into them.

Soon, Robbie's back hunched at the calming feeling and he shuddered.

Glanni's magic was unique in it's own but he had the ability to only sooth pain, not heal it. His was much darker and that attributed due to his own dark lifestyle. Stealing from people and engaging in rough sexual intercourse did something to him and he was left with only a few capable abilities.

"There! Does it feel better?" He asked the villain, pulling away and admiring his handy work.

Robbie pulled his robe back up and tightened the belt around it, "It does.... are you sure this is the only reason you stopped by?" Glanni scoffed frivolously, crossing his arms over his chest and sauntering back over towards the orange chair.

Plopping back down into it, Glanni flashed his brother a signature smile, full lips covered in a matte dusty pink colour.

"Maybe it's not but don't go throwing me out yet. I was worried about you and I can see that this is going to continue bothering you, so maybe you'd let your dear brother stay with you for a little while? You look like you could use the help."

Robbie's face was inflamed at the last words and he scowled irritatingly.

"Who are you hiding from this time? Is it the elders? That bumble headed police officer that couldn't save a cat from a tree? Oh wait, don't tell me; it's our mother!" Robbie said in a dramatic voice but Glanni wasn't smiling anymore. He was staring down at the silk mesh that covered his bare feet.

"What did she do this time? Did she kick you out again or was it something else?" Glanni just huffed and relaxed his body back in the soft fur of the recliner.

"You know how she gets, pumpkin. Sometimes she can act like a bitch and sometimes she can act like a _true_ bitch." Robbie just shook his head in agreement.

He had a lot of things to think about and honestly, the last thing he needed was his princess of a brother hanging around here and mucking things up but -

He knew how bad their mother could get. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Fine." He saw Glanni's eyes light up but he held up a finger to shush him, "You can stay but please, do not cause any trouble and make any noise. Please, I really need you to do this for me because I have to invent things and the last thing I need is you to run around in your little outfits and causing trouble!"

Glanni only offered a snicker in response, once again folding a thigh over the other as his grey eyes sparkled with mischief, "Of course, pumpkin! When have I ever let you down?"

Robbie just face palmed, wondering what he just gotten himself into.

 


	7. Chapter 7

* * *

" _Glanni_ , I can't believe you..." Robbie grumbled underneath his breath as he surveyed the damage to the main part of his bunker. It wasn't too bad considering what his older brother would usually have done but to have clothes, a dark pink scarf made of silk and a few bottles of expensive looking perfume thrown across his floor and his orange recliner was a tad bit annoying.

Not only was his brother a pompous brat, he was also incredibly lazy and refused to pick up after himself. Robbie had honestly thought he was the worst out of his family but his older brother took the cake when it came to his messes.

Sighing heavily, Robbie rubbed the tired crease on his forehead before he quickly picked up everything in sight. Not long after he had all of the items placed back to where he needed them, accept for the perfume bottles which he stacked evenly in the bathroom cabinet.

Growing up with Glanni wasn't all that bad but when Robbie had spent a year and a half living with his mess of an older brother, he was ready to commit murder. The house they shared was their mother's, who praised Glanni left and right for everything that he did and proclaimed that her sons "didn't need to live on their own when they have a mother like me to take care of them!'. Even after Robbie had a job and earned a little bit of money, she still insisted on treating him like a child. And though they fought with her a lot, Glanni soaked up the attention like a sponge and that was tiring after awhile.

Robbie wasn't thrilled about having his brother staying here with him but maybe the company wouldn't be so bad, seeing how his emotions had decided to run him ragged. The breakdown he had in front of Sportacus was still haunting his mind, not able to cope with the fact that he was so tired to the point of admitting to him that he thought about the elf often. The other thing that bothered him was Sportacus was so exhausted one night and actually kissed him. Not on the lips but still, the warm affection was alien to him and he wasn't sure if he could handle it if it happened again.

Maybe he could tell Glanni about it, but that would resort in him being peddled for answers and the eventual 'so have you seen his dick yet?' question that his brother liked to ask anyone who talked about a love interest. Robbie stilled while he headed towards his open bedroom door, wondering where that thought came from.

 _Sportacus as his love interest?_ Robbie's cheeks burned with red at the mere thought of the stupid elf being in love with him, already knowing his affections wouldn't be returned.

A little bit of sadness followed this as he closed and locked his bedroom door. He had harbored quite the crush on the sports elf for quite some time but like everything else, it was never made to be. He sincerely hoped that his sleep-deprived words and actions didn't expose his underlying feelings for the handsome elf.

The last thing he needed was Sportacus - _or anybody else_ \- finding out about his feelings.

-

"Oh pumpkin!" Glanni called in a cheerful voice, emerging from the small bathroom with a fluffy magenta towel wrapped around his upper body and Robbie was amazed at how the long towel managed to still cover his thighs too.

He leaned back into his chair again and relaxed, dressed only in his robe. After he had spent the morning and most of the afternoon cleaning up after his brother, he had taken a warm bubble bath and changed only into the robe so he could get comfortable on his chair and relax.

"I hope you don't mind I'm going out tonight? I know you told me to stay close but I'm just going up to a little place on the outskirts of town."

Why was Glanni telling him this? As long as the diva brat didn't cause any sort of trouble with the people of the town that he interacted with, he honestly didn't give a damn what he did then.

Robbie sighed and closed his eyes. "For the last time, I don't care what the hell you have to do as long as you stay out of trouble. And please, don't say anything to the flipping blue elf if you see him. I really don't feel like being pestered on why my family is here." The villain continued to relax in his chair, sighing softly as the cool breeze gently caressed the bare skin of his legs.

Glanni just smirked before dropping the towel but before Robbie could yell at him for his indecency, a quick snap of his fingers and he was fully clothed. A dark plum blouse that hung off both shoulders with overlapping sleeves, black pants that looked a little too tight and a pair of black heels that made him almost three inches taller.

Robbie had to admit that his brother had incredible style but the constant use of magic in his lair was going to bring that blue elf over here if he kept it up.

"Why don't you want me to meet your little boy toy, hmm? Are you afraid he'll be so attracted to me that he'd want to suck me off - " Glanni let out a little squeak when Robbie shoved a banana in his mouth. The villain scowled dangerously before he stood to his feet and began pacing around the area.

Glanni scoffed in disgust as he pulled the yellow fruit from his mouth and tossed it onto the now empty recliner.

"How can you eat that garbage? Did Sporta _hunk_ get you liking those?" Glanni had seen what the blue clad hero had looked like after a day or two of staying in town and was he impressed with what he saw. He was a little short but his amazing body and those sparkling blue eyes made up for whatever he lacked in height. He was muscled but not too overdone and it reminded him so much of -

Glanni's lips thinned and he crossed his supple arms. "I just realized who that sexy little elf reminds me of and now that I compare the two, it kind of turns me off."

Robbie just groaned in response and shook his head lightly. He didn't need to hear about what his brother did in his own time so he stalked over towards him and shoved him off of the arm of his chair, causing Glanni to yelp uncharacteristically before he balanced himself.

"Enough Glanni! I'm not in the mood for this crap now would you please leave so I can finally get some rest?" Although Robbie's voice sounded harsh, Glanni knew when something was bothering him. The villain always had a way of covering up what was upsetting him in the form of anger or annoyance and right now he was using anger to keep his problem hidden.

But Glanni was smarter than what most people took him for. "You keep forgetting that I know when something's bothering you, Robbie. You get that look in your eyes and you throw up this wall of anger to hide what you're really feeling."

When Robbie didn't say anything and just looked the ground, it confirmed his suspicions. He moved around until he was closer to his brother and tilted his head.

"What's wrong? Is it what I said about Sportababe? Because I can tell you I have no intentions of trying to fuck him, although it would be a nice treat." Glanni giggled with mirth shining in his eyes but all Robbie did was glare at him venomously in return.

He turned away and clenched his fists, trying to calm his frantic heart beat.

There was _no_ way he was getting jealous of what his idiotic brother was saying. It was just him feeling drowsy from lack of sleep and nothing else.

Nothing else. He told himself, flinching on instinct when one of Glanni's pale hands settled on his shoulder.

His brother took a step back, knowing when to respect his brother's privacy when it came to it. "Robbie," He sounded serious for the first time, "You know I'm only here to help you. Whatever problem you're dealing with, you can talk to me about it. I'm not good at giving advice or any shit like that but I am your family."

The tension in his shoulders released and he let out a long sigh.

Turning around, Robbie ran a hand back through his messy hair. "I - _please_ Glanni, just go do what you had planned and let me have a few hours to myself. There's nothing wrong with me now, the only thing I want to do is get some sleep. Is that okay with you?" Raising one dark brow at this, Glanni only rolled his eyes before he nodded.

"Alright, alright, I'll go so you can get some sleep. Try to lay off on the cake, muffin. You've been looking a lot less chubby since I came over." Grinning mischievously at his brother's now blushing face, Glanni wiggled his manicured nails at him before he disappeared in a few clouds of dark pink and a little glitter.

Robbie let out a long groan once he was gone and plopped back down into the chair. It was a relief on him now that his bunker was engrossed in silence.

Sighing lightly, he adjusted his position on the chair and reclined back. Stretching himself out, he folded his hands in his lap and let sleep consume him. It had been a long time since he got to enjoy this type of peace so he intended to make the best out of it.

 _No more dreams about Sportacus, either_. He thought to himself but as soon as he drifted off, fuzzy images of him holding hands with the chipper elf and leaning in to kiss his pink lips were already plaguing his dreams.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay but glanni would wear a towel so big it looks like a robe.


	8. Chapter 8

* * *

 

There was one thing that Robbie hated more than exercising. And that was having to move old junk around in his back storage room. It caused him more pain and stress, not to mention that he had some pretty heavy pieces of metal he wasn't aware of owning before. The room was getting clogged up and he could barely move through it without bumping into something, so he figured today he would clean it up. And with Glanni out at probably another swinger's party, he had some peace and quiet to get this over with.

Grunting as he shoved a particularly heavy box into an empty corner, Robbie pulled back and wiped the sweat off the back of his forehead.

That was a lot of hard work but he glanced proudly around the now even storage room, he felt strangely better. Better than how he felt in the past recent days, too.

The embarrassment of his break downs and his scars still annoying him seemed to fade away during his concentration. That was something that happened to him naturally whenever he spent the time building things, drawing or designing some clothes.

His mind was brought back to the plum blouse that Glanni had ruined years ago and the gears began turning as he dug it out from one of the boxes. He pouted a little when he fingered the fine Persian silk, remembering how elated his grandmother had been when he opened it on Christmas when he was twenty two.

The blouse was extremely expensive and a little feminine but that never really bothered him though. It fit him nice and while it hugged some parts of his body, the shirt didn't cling to his stomach or hips and draped nicely. It tightened a little at the waist for a comfort fit and went along great with whatever pants he decided to wear.

Sadness overcame him then as he dropped down to a sit on the cold floor in the room, staring down the shirt.

His grandmother had passed away two years after he had gotten it and it still tugged at his heart whenever he thought about it. She was more of a mother to him than his real mother and the day she left him was the day his heart turned into ice.

Looking at the beautiful shirt caused hot tears to suddenly sting his eyes and he curled his fingers into the fabric.

"Why does every _nice little thing_ I get have to be taken away?" He spoke to himself in a hoarse voice, the tears now running down his cheeks in thin streams.

Robbie was beginning to think that he wasn't made to experience happiness or earn anything nice, which is why his shirt was ruined. It was the reason why he was abused and treated like a scared animal from the previous hero because he found the weakness in him and exploited it.

Robbie bitterly chuckled then, the sound mixed with his tears. These heroes were not good and even though Sportacus had been kind and generous to him, it didn't the change the fact that Nine was a malicious person who hurt Robbie for his own personal thrill.

Thinking about the unnamed hero caused anxiety-filled shakes to run down his body and he fisted the black t-shirt he was currently wearing, gritting his teeth while doing so.

"He's the reason... he's the reason I can't have nice things!" Robbie exclaimed, getting back to his feet with a light struggle befor throwing the blouse across the room, where it landed on a few boxes.

With the new found anger and thoughts of what happened him on the horrible night ran through him, he growled and began kicking at pieces of broken metal. His broken remote that he had used to make Sportacus invisible went flying as well, meeting with the hard wall and shattering upon impact. He grabbed some other useless metal objects and threw them around, not satisfied when a piece of orange rusted metal broke through a glass window and caused shards to go flying.

Robbie flinched when one of them flew back at him, slicing the high part his cheekbone. He stopped in his fit of anger as the pieces of glass bounced on the floor near his feet, feeling something warm starting to drip down his cheek.

He touched his cheek and pulled his hand back, eyes widened when he spotted blood.

Blood? He was bleeding?

Robbie hurried over towards the bathroom mirror and stared at his reflection, almost whimpering at the sight of the metallic liquid running down his face slowly.

It reminded him of what happened a few years ago, how he had to crawl away with blood pouring from lacerations on his hands and arms. How it oozed from the two deep and marred scars -

" _Argh!_ " Robbie exclaimed, his emotions running away with him as he tried not to think about all of those horrible things. They were dirty and un-wanted, yet they kept haunting him and haunting him.

"Stop stop stop!" He begged himself, walking in circles as he pounded his balled fists against the sides of his temples, doing anything to clear his mind. They were still eating at his conscious, plaguing him every time he closed his eyes.

Tears were now pouring down his face, cheeks burning a bright red as he fought with himself mentally. After feeling his legs protest to the constant pacing, he sobbed lightly as he fell down to his knees beside his orange recliner, hands fisted in his dark hair to try and control himself.

But nothing was working. How could anything work when these nightmares and memories wouldn't leave him alone?

Robbie couldn't hear the sound of the hatch flying open through the roaring in his eyes and he gasped when he felt warm, comforting hands trying to grab his shoulders.

"Robbie! Robbie, are you okay?" It was Sportacus who was in front of him.

Sportacus, the one who always seemed to know when he was in trouble and the one who was always by his side when he needed him. But the villain knew it wouldn't last because he just wasn't meant to have good things happen to him. He was meant to suffer and spend the rest of his miserable life alone and desperate.

Robbie just sobbed then, letting himself fall slack into the elf's embrace. "Please Sportacus, make it stop... take it all away so I don't have to think about it anymore." The elf frowned lightly at the words, lowering himself to the ground so he could hesitantly wrap his arms around Robbie's slender body.

"Make what stop? What are you thinking about?" Sportacus had to take this slowly because he knew from past experience that Robbie could get a little dangerous whenever he fell into one of his emotional states.

It made him sad to see the villain acting this way, crying and shivering like a scared child though the elf knew Robbie was strong, he knew it from the moment he started dressing in those disguises and creating all of these fantastic inventions.

Robbie pushed away from Sportacus then, eyes suddenly bloodshot from crying. "Don't you see that I'm a nobody!? Can't you just look at me and tell me to my face that I'm a piece of trash who doesn't deserve anything? Why do you think Nine treated me the way that he did!? He saw what a piece of shit I was and he treated me like the piece of shit I was!" Sportacus clung to every sharp word thrown at him, wondering if he was going to get those questions answered in the form of Robbie's state.

He didn't want it to happen but he also didn't know how to calm Robbie down without letting him vent first.

"Robbie," The elf started in a pained voice, "You're not a piece of - you're so much _more_ than that and I wish you would believe me when I say it." He wanted the villain to listen to him, wanted him to take every comforting word from him and just hold onto it but he never seemed to listen.

Robbie's face changed and he resembled someone who had been kicked in the face, "Why should I believe you!? For all I know, you could be planning to do to me what Nine had done! He started out all nice and kind but - but he did - _he_ -" Robbie couldn't finish as his resolve crumbled, breaking down once more as he dropped his face into his hands to sob. Sportacus flinched upon hearing this, desperately wanting to know what happened but he couldn't force it.

He wouldn't. Sportacus carefully moved closer to Robbie and pulled his hands down from his face, frowning at the sight of his tear-streaked face and the blood dripping from the cut on his cheekbone.

"Robbie, I would never think of hurting you." It broke his heart to know that the villain thought he was do something towards him. Just the thought along made his gut clench, starting to get ideas on what exactly happened.

"My people are kind - we don't handle situations through physical violence or abuse. Whatever Nine did to you was probably illegal if he came from the same commune as me." Sportacus said in a low voice, hoping that his words would have a calming effect on the villain.

To his relief, Robbie's tremors stopped and he didn't flinch when he lightly cupped his cheek with his hand.

Sportacus' breath hitched a little bit at the sight of blood but he ignored it to grab a napkin and dab it at the cut. It wasn't too deep but it was a little long, covering most of Robbie's cheekbone and almost reaching the hairline by his ear. He wondered what it came from, hoping the taller man didn't do it to himself.

When the bleeding stopped, Sportacus sighed and threw the bloodied napkin in the garbage.

"Are you okay, Robbie?" He asked him gently and Robbie sighed somewhat, pulling away so he could wipe at both of his eyes.

"I - I'm... I don't know what I am, Sportacus. I just - I want to forget about everything but it's so hard too. I can't go a day without thinking about it and it just - I wish it would stop." He said in a broken voice, avoiding those blue eyes as he still shook lightly.

"I know and it's going to be hard but you have to be strong. Once you're able to hold yourself together, the bad things that happened to you won't matter anymore. What will matter is that you overcame them and that you believe in your heart," Sportacus gently touched this chest, feeling own heartbeat, "That you're strong enough to avoid thinking about it."

The elf smiled warmly after saying this and gently touched Robbie's cheek with his thumb.

The warm affection flooded through the villain again and his breath hitched at the strange, unfamiliar touch. Blood flooded his cheeks and he once again fought with the urges to lean forward and claim those lips. It happened so effortlessly in all of the dreams he had but to have it happen in real life seemed unnatural. He wouldn't do a stupid thing like that because he _knew_ that the sports elf was here to help him, not love him.

Robbie didn't even know if he could handle love. He didn't like being touched and he could imagine how frightening it would be to be touched intimately. He rid himself of those dangerous thoughts and wiped under his eyes again, hoping he still wasn't crying.

Sportacus seemed content with the situation, breathing a quiet sigh of relief when his crystal had stopped chirping loudly and was now silent.

"Do you want me to stay here with you again? It's no trouble but I would have to leave early in the morning. I don't want to wake you up." The elf sounded sincere and Robbie would have loved to have his company but he had Glanni currently staying with him and the last thing he needed was the strange meeting the two would have.

"It's - It's not a problem but I can't have anyone staying over for awhile. Just some minor issues with the air conditioning and I don't want anyone sweating their butts - or in your case, ears off." Sportacus had to chuckle lightly at Robbie's poor attempt at humor before he helped the taller man to his feet.

"Okay but Robbie, if you need anything you can message me and I'll be right down. I want you to know that, alright?" Robbie felt his cheeks turn a little red again but he hoped it wasn't too noticeable and just nodded. He nervously scratched his bare arm, forgetting he had changed into a plain shirt and some loose pants to clear things out in the back.

Sportacus smiled and headed over to the shaft before meeting the villain's grey eyes again. "It's nice to see you in regular clothes. You look - they flatter you."

"I - oh, um, thank you." Robbie stuttered nervously, looking down at himself. It was an old black t-shirt that he couldn't remember getting and some loose off grey pants that were made for jogging but he used to use them as sleeping pants. Now they were mainly used when he needed to clean up around his lair, as evidence of the little holes dotting one of the knees. 

"Take care of yourself and remember, I'm not that far if you need me." Sportacus said in a gentle voice, one that made the villain flinch lightly at but he nodded. The elf came back over towards him when he noticed the look on Robbie's face and engulfed him in a warm embrace.

Robbie's eyes widened at the sudden contact but the feel of those strong, unyielding arms holding him made him feel safe and... wanted. After gathering himself, he rested his chin against Sportacus's hat and wrapped his arms around him in return.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Robbie." Sportacus said as he pulled away and Robbie noticed for the first time that the elf's face looked a little red.

Was he embarrassed too or? He chose not to think about it and watched as the shorter male ascended up the long pipe and out into the open air. Now that he was alone again, Robbie sat himself down into his recliner and curled up into a fetal position, hoping that a little sleep would help him stop feeling this way.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh this was rushed and i'm sorry but here's robbie crying again to make you feel bad.


	9. Chapter 9

* * *

  
Glanni crossed his arms and popped a boney hip out as he surveyed his younger brother with narrowed eyes. "How did you get that cut on your cheek?"

His question didn't seem to faze Robbie but he did feel his heart thump lightly at the sudden question. Why was Glanni always nit picking every little thing that he did and so nosy? Couldn't he leave him alone for once and worry about jumping someone else's bones?

Glanni had come home just a few moments ago and had spotted his brother curled in on himself in the recliner and wearing some old clothes. He knew Robbie better than to dress like a slob and knew something was bothering him.

Robbie spoke for the first time, sighing heavily. "I... just don't worry about it, Glanni. I'm tired and want some sleep."

That didn't convince his brother at all and he scoffed in annoyance before shifting from one heeled boot to the other. "I know when you're trying to cover something up and I wouldn't care less if a cut was on somebody else but you're a Rotten honey and our gorgeous faces and beautiful skin don't ever need to be covered in cuts."

Robbie just scowled lightly before curling up even tighter on his recliner. "Don't worry about me you pain in the ass. Why don't you go back to those little bars that you like so much, get drunk and leave me be? It's bad enough I have that stupid blue elf pestering me all the damn time."

At that Glanni smirked and curled his tongue over his white teeth. Robbie sighed, realizing what he just got himself into.

"So... Sporta _hunk_ has been pestering you, hmm? Did you give into those desires finally? Maybe head up to that flying death trap and get a little - _Oof!_ " Glanni was cut off when Robbie stood up from his chair and landed an elbow as hard as he could into his brother's flat stomach. They fought like this all the time when they were kids and Robbie sworn that he wouldn't let this buffoon irritate him anymore.

That promise failed, he thought angrily as Glanni began coughing dramatically and fell to the floor before him to beg like an idiot.

"You're not supposed to hit me, you ass! I'm glad you didn't go for the face but do you know what bruises will do to my perfect complexion!?" He said in a poor attempt to redeem his teasing but Robbie just scowled and crossed his arms stubbornly, "Then you should stop running your damn mouth and try to be nice once and awhile! I let you stay here and all you've done is pick on me and make a mess!"

Glanni flinched somewhat when Robbie began frowning even more and stomped away towards his bedroom.

Sighing with a roll of his eyes, the criminal got to his feet and sauntered over towards the open door, not surprised to find Robbie looking down at his bare feet and rubbing the back of his neck. "I was only kidding, pumpkin. You'd know I'd never try to hurt your feelings on purpose."

When his brother didn't respond, Glanni tried for something else.

"Do I annoy you whenever I bring up Sportahottie? Because look, I have no intentions of getting with him even though he is pretty sexy. I've got better things to do and honestly, I'd rather suck a dick or eat pussy at the club than try with him. I can already tell he's a virgin from the looks of it. " Robbie's jaw tightened at this and he scrubbed both hands down his pale face in growing aggravation. Glanni brushed a hand through his unruly hair, smirking.

"Now that I think about it, you two would be perfect for each other! You're both lonely, you only hang out with kids and you're both virgins! There! I made you guys work, now you can stop being mad at me now." The comment only made Robbie grit his teeth and he turned around to face his pompous brother.

"Why do you insist on trying to live my life for me? I'm a grown man and I don't need you helping me." Glanni fake yawned.

"Oh come on Robbie, you _need_ to get laid. Don't you think you deserve it after all these years of being a recluse and scared to even touch yourself? I'm tired of seeing you this way; all uptight and crabby, mad at this shitty world for nothing when you could be out living the time of your life! You're a Rotten sweetheart, we're destined to give good fucks and have amazing - "

Glanni suddenly squeaked when a purple slipper was thrown at him, ducking his head.

"For the last time you stupid idiot, I don't want your help and I don't need your help! Now go take a hike and go get plastered somewhere that's NOT my lair!" Robbie threatened accusingly, already holding up something else to throw.

Glanni's eyes widened when he saw that Robbie was holding an old, broken piece of machinery and he knew he couldn't afford to get any type of wounds.

"Alright! I'm going to go out and have fun, unlike someone I know. _Jeez._ " Glanni said with a dramatic eye roll and walked away from the door.

Once Robbie heard the sound of his brother's high heels dance around and the magic suddenly leave the area, he sighed annoyingly and tossed the piece of metal to the ground. The villain took a seat down on his bed and rested his chin in his hands, wondering when he was going to see Sportacus again.

He would never admit it to the elf's face but he was missing his company. Now that Glanni was here they barely saw each other and because of that, he knew he had grown accustomed to being around the flippity blue elf. Robbie sighed again, hoping by tomorrow he would be able to get outside and do something productive.

 _Hopefully_.


	10. Chapter 10

* * *

 

Sportacus grinned from ear to ear, unable to stop himself from doing so when he spotted Robbie's tall frame lurch around his billboard, peering around to make sure nobody had spotted him so early. He was extremely happy to see the villain finally come outside after almost a week and couldn't help but jog over to him once he noticed him climbing down the steel blue stairs. Even though the sun would be setting soon, it was still nice to see him up and about.

Robbie breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed that no one had spotted him yet but before he could make his way into the main part of town, he almost jumped out of his skin when Sportacus came bounding over to him with a loud and chipper, "Hi Robbie!" He flailed his arms around before trying to catch his breath, sending a sharp glare to the smiling elf, who looked good in his outfit. _Well, he always look good in it since he wears it everyday_ , the villain thought before scowling.

"Will you cut that out!? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Sportacus' bright smile faltered as he took a few more steps closer to Robbie without invading his personal space and looked him in the eyes. "I'm sorry Robbie, I didn't mean to scare you. It's just that I haven't seen you outside in a while and myself and the kids have been worried."

Robbie scoffed and brushed down his waist coat instinctively, "Don't you mean _one_ kid? The little pink tornado who makes just as much noise as you do?" Sportacus grinned again at the normal tone of the villain's voice and chuckled lightly. "No I mean all of the kids! They've been worried and they think you're sick. But now that you're out here now, why don't you come to the soccer field and play with us? Stephanie will be there - "

Robbie gasped as if he was offended and his shoulders hiked up. "Play? With you and those pestering, loud kids? You've got to be out of your mind, Sportakook! The only thing I have on my mind is heading to the store!" Robbie exclaimed dramatically as he waved his long arms about, Sportacus crossing his arms over his muscular chest as he rolled his blue eyes.

Robbie tried not to blush or stare too much at those pretty eyes, knowing if he got caught it would be the death of him.

"Okay Robbie." Sportacus said teasingly before a cautious look crossed his features.

"Robbie... Are you in any pain? Do you need any help with anything?" The villain was sure his cheeks were burning red again.

Why was this elf always so kind and caring towards him? Robbie sighed innerly then, knowing that the blue elf's attitude towards him wasn't going to change and that he was going to be treated like an apple or something every time he was around him.

That didn't mean Sportacus held any type of feelings towards him, oh no. That would be silly and out of this world because no matter what anybody told him, Robbie was destined to be alone and miserable.

"I..." A light cough. "I'm okay for the moment, Sportaloon. I just ran out of supplies and I need to go pick up some important things. My lair has been a mess lately." Robbie said smoothly and ran a hand over his perfectly styled hair, not noticing Sportacus' eyes stare at the hand for a second or two.

A knowing look gleamed in the elf's then. "Robbie, do you have a guest over?" The question made Robbie almost choke on his own breath before he composed himself.

Trying to ignore his heart beat picking up in his chest, he answered as best as he could. "I - how did you know that? Have you been spying on, you stupid elf? I told you I don't like that voyeurism stuff!"

Sportacus blinked. "Robbie, I didn't know you had someone with you. When you said you ran out of stuff and your lair was a mess, I just assumed - "

It dawned on Robbie that he just let the cat out of the bag and even though Sportacus's mouth was still moving, the villain's mind was going haywire as he slapped himself in the forehead with his palm. Why me!? He thought to himself, knowing that he got himself into this one and he had to find a way to get himself out before he could embarrass himself even more.

"Look it's not important who's staying with me, can I just - I just _need_ to get to the store and get my things, so if you please, could you go back to those annoying kids so I can concentrate?" Robbie bit down on his bottom lip after that, wondering if he sounded too harsh. He saw something similar to hurt flood through the elf's eyes but Sportacus smiled instead and placed his balled fists onto his hips.

"Of course, Robbie. I'm sorry for bothering you. I'll see you soon?" When the warm and bright smile returned to the elf's handsome face, Robbie found himself once again fighting with his blush before he, out of some sort of miracle, controlled himself long enough to tug down on his waist coat and nod curtly before he zoomed past his friend or whatever he was. He didn't know what he and Sportacus were at this point.

Hopefully some shopping would get his mind off of the handsome hero.

-

Robbie was crouched in front of the cosmetics shelf, scowering the lower shelves for some really good covering foundation or concealer. After he began another weekly bout of insomnia, he noticed those purple bags beginning to return under his eyes and he would never leave the house looking like a corpse.

If there was something he did take after his mother, it was his ability to look flawless at all times. And right now to look flawless like he desired, he needed something thick enough to cover the hideous rings under his eyes.

Tapping his chin in concentration, Robbie finally found one foundation in a sublime glass bottle that was matte and in the shade porcelain. Feeling relieved that he found something that would surely work, Robbie stood up from his kneeling position and placed the foundation in his shopping crate before someone suddenly popped up next to him, pink clouds of smoke and glitter fading around him.

"Hey pumpkin! I've been looking for you everywhere!" Glanni's cheery voice only made Robbie's temple hurt, so he groaned loudly and ran a hand down over his long face, wondering when his suffering was ever going to end.

Robbie turned to face his brother, not surprised to find him wearing a fluffy magenta cashmere blouse that looked three sizes too small and a pair of soft looking black slacks that clung to his every curve. The villain fought the urge to look down at his usual outfit and compare the two out of his own self consciousness and just held his chin eye and glared at his brother. "Why do you always show up at the times I really don't want you around?"

Glanni feigned a pout and crossed his slender arms. "Oh come on, don't be like that towards your dear brother. Don't you love it when I come visit you?" Hope shined in his grey eyes but all it did was make Robbie's temple throb again.

"No, because you're a pain in the ass and can't even cover up when you're out in public!" The villain was no saint when it came to his scheming and planning but he would never wear something so revealing in Lazytown due to the town's naturally happy nature and all of the children that could see it.

"Please honey, when they see me they get jealous! They know I look hot and they want to be me!" Glanni said with a smirk and performed a pose in the middle of the shopping isle, popping his hip out and resting both hands on his rear in attempt to look sexy.

Scowling lightly, Robbie turned away from the criminal and made a fast walk towards the self check out.

"Oh pumpkin, stop being so uptight! What did I tell you about your attitude the other night?" Glanni said as he followed his brother, stopping to smile and blow a kiss to a tall, handsome man who walked past them with a raised eyebrow. The villain ignored him as he pulled out all of the stuff he grabbed and began scanning them. Glanni watched on for a few moments, neatly trimmed eyebrows raising in surprise at some of the things his brother was buying.

Bananas? Coconut oil? _Organic fizzy drinks?_ Glanni just scoffed in disgust and looked away to keep his mouth from saying something he would regret.

They fought before but after losing almost every fight due to him running around and avoiding the throwing fists, the criminal just kept his mouth shut and looked around the half empty market. Robbie had gotten so strong after they lived together for a short time and because of that, Glanni tried not to get hit in the face by one of those hard fists.

Glanni eyed the foundation and smirked, thankful his brother had kept some of his normal habits. Something clicked then and he tapped his nails against his arm. "Robbie, are you getting enough sleep?" He noticed his brother's broad shoulders tense at this before he resumed scanning his items.

"Yes." Robbie answered tightly, not in the mood to talk and too focused on what he was doing to pay a lick of attention to his brother.

Glanni rolled his eyes before leaning closer to peer at the items. "I keep telling you I know you better than you think. You only buy that type of foundation to hide those sleepy bags under your eyes." Robbie didn't say anything and Glanni knew he hit the nail on the head. "I knew it! Why won't you tell me things? You know I worry about you."

The villain finally had enough as he stuffed some money in the dispenser. "I don't tell you anything because you tease me and make fun of me _ALL_ the time. Did I forget to mention that you act like a jackass and it pisses me off?" Robbie said in a tight voice but it was loud enough for Glanni to hear the anger laced in it.

"Besides all that, you know I care about you and only want the best out of you. Why do you think I make these visits? I know half of it's because our mother is a cunt but the other half is because I worry about you. All the time."

Hearing Glanni sound so sincere was affecting Robbie in the wrong way, so he kept his head down and quickly bagged his items. Glanni spoke again, this time much lower so no one around them could hear. "And I know it still eats at you after what that muscle-headed bastard did to you a few years ago. I know you're trying your best to get over it but trying to overcome rape by yourself - "

"Just SHUT UP!" Robbie finally exclaimed, not caring about the various bystanders who stopped to look in his direction at his outburst. He didn't want to draw the attention but Glanni was pushing his buttons to the point of no return. "I have enough trouble dealing with this on my own and I don't need you reminding me of it every single god damn minute!" He said in a much lower but callous voice, grey eyes looking sharp and filled with rage.

Glanni sighed, running a hand back through his unkempt dark hair.

"You have to learn how to get over this, Robbie!" Glanni sighed when his brother didn't respond and practically ran away from him. He crossed his slender arms again and went in the direction of that good looking man from before, hoping to sink his claws into him if he could.

-

Robbie didn't bother listening as he snatched his plastic bags and stormed towards the automatic double doors. He didn't care if Glanni was following him or not but the need to get away from the pompous brat was too much. As soon as he was outside and hit by the fresh air, Robbie made his way back into the local area of town, trying hard to fight the tears that were stinging his eyes.

Damn Glanni. Damn him and his insistent behavior! He always pulled the strings and had to ask questions that he knew Robbie wasn't comfortable talking about.

But Robbie couldn't blame for his blunt nature because he got it all from his mother.

Scowling to himself to fight his sadness, the villain began rubbing at his eyes when he felt the tears start to fall. There was no point in staying made at his idiotic brother because what he said made some partial sense, no matter how many times the villain tried to deny it.

He knew he needed to get over what happened to him, he knew he should have tried to overcome the haunting memories but they still lingered in his mind and stuck like glue.

They were everywhere and he felt like he couldn't stop it.

Still trying to wipe away at his flowing tears, Robbie didn't realize he was sobbing quietly until he heard the sound of feet approach him cautiously. "Robbie? Are you alright?" Of course it was Sportacus but there was no sound of that annoying crystal beeping or any of the kids clamoring around him. The villain tried to hide his face by wiping under his eyes but when he felt a warm hand gently touch his shoulder, he sighed and turned to face the blue elf.

Sportacus' face held that same caring and yet heart broken expression it always did when he found Robbie in one of his emotional breakdowns. It pained the shorter male to see Robbie in this state and he cautiously took a step closer. Robbie flinched instantly and the elf took a few backs to respect his privacy, not wanting to upset him more than he already was.

"Robbie... What's the matter? I'm here for you..." Sportacus tried again, frowning when Robbie just shuddered through his sobs and looked at the ground. He wanted to give Robbie some peace and mind but he didn't know what to do now.

His crystal hadn't alerted him of the situation but he was lucky enough to be heading towards his air ship when he noticed Robbie almost running towards his lair and looking more distraught than he had never seen him. Sportacus began thinking and figured that something happened while he was shopping.

Robbie shuddered again, lowering his hands finally so he could look the shorter male in the eyes.

Sportacus' heart thumped at the sight of those grey eyes looking painfully blood shot. Oh the things he wished he could do to just to make Robbie smile and not worry about anything.

"Why?" Was all the villain could say, voice sounding watery and broken. Sportacus heard him and tried to think of a reasonable answer. "Why what? What's going on?" His voice sounded calm and soothing but all Robbie could focus on was the horrible memories that kept popping up in his head at the moment. He clutched the plastic bag of items close to him, trying desperately to come up with an answer.

"Why did it happen to me? Why did I have to get - to get - " Robbie's pale face crumpled at the last part but before he could go into another bout of distress and anxiety, Sportacus stepped forward and wrapped his strong arms around the villain's slender body tightly, hoping he wasn't over stepping any boundaries and that what he was doing now would help the villain and not push him away any more than he already was.

But thankfully Robbie gave in without compliance and his face fell into the crook of Sportacus' neck and shoulder, sobbing lowly into the blue fabric of his outfit. The tears were hot and a little uncomfortable but all that mattered at that moment was making sure Robbie was okay and wouldn't do anything to endanger himself. Sportacus held him tighter, rubbing tight circles into his shoulder blades when he felt how stiff his body was.

Sportacus was thankful he arrived on the scene before Robbie could do some potential harm to himself and unlike the previous times of finding him in this state of distress, Robbie seemed to be sad about something and wasn't having an attack like before.

When he felt the taller man's shakes slow down and his sobs reduced to soft sniffs, the elf pulled away and stared up into Robbie's bloodshot eyes.

"Are you ready to talk about what happened? I don't want to pressure you but I feel like it could calm you down if we did." Robbie wiped under his eyes for a few seconds before let out a watery sigh. He clutched his grocery bags closer to his body and looked around to make sure Glanni, or anybody else, wasn't nearby.

"I... We can, but not here. I don't like being out in the god forsaken town as it is and I - can we please go to my lair?" Sportacus nodded and gently took one of the villain's pale hands in his, feeling how cold and clammy his skin felt.

"Of course, whatever makes you comfortable." Robbie didn't respond and just turned to make the walk towards the billboard, Sportacus following behind.


	11. Chapter 11

After the horrible news of Stefan Karl passing away, I will not be finishing this story out of respect for him. I didn’t have any plans of doing that regardless but I felt like I needed to say this simply because he was an amazing man and it’s wrong on my part to write a fictional story about him. Rest in Peace plant dad, all of your meme friends miss you. 

Vaya con Dios, Stefan. 


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